Flamingo in a Flock of Pigeons
by ElphieThroppDG28
Summary: A girl on the island fic based on my poem "My Poor, Poor Simon". What happens when Jack's twin sister Jessica is on the island with the boys? Includes events before, during, and after LOTF. Rated T for violence/language. Based on the book and 1990 movie.
1. Intro and Prologue

_**A/N: Heeeeeyyyyy!!!! I watched half of the 1990 version of "Lord of the Flies" today in English (last day of the semester!)...and I got so INSPIRED...so I decided to try this out! **_

**_Everyone looks like they did in the 1990 movie...except try to imagine them as...Idk, 14-15 years old (otherwise...it will be awwwwkwarrrrddd...)_**

**_My OC: Her name is Jessica, and she's the fraternal twin sister of Jack. She has dark auburn hair (to emphasize their fraternalness...cause he has blonde hair in the movie...)._**

**_There are two parts to this story: _**

**_1) SCHOOL - the boys (and girls) attend school together. We are introduced to the characters and how they interact with each other._**

**_2) ISLAND - the boys (and Jessica) are stranded on the island. Some things may be altered, but the story plays out as it was originally written, pretty much..._**

**_WARNING: SOME OF THE PLOT FOR THIS STORY IS BORROWED FROM BROADWAY SHOWS, SUCH AS "PHANTOM OF THE OPERA", "WICKED", AND OTHERS. And you can kinda tell by the prologue that it [the prologue] leans heavily on POTO. _**

**_DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING (except Jessica...)_**

**_PLEASE REVIEW! I'd like to know if I should continue with this. Like I've said above, the school part of this story will get some ideas from Broadway shows, so if you guys have any ideas to make it more original, please let me know! AND PLEASE NO FLAMES/BASHING. I get crabby when people tell me I flat-out suck...I like to be let down gently. SO PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!_**

**_P.S. The outfit Jessica is wearing...it's the new school outfit for the American Girl doll Kit...which I also don't own. And Ralph and Jessica are about 28 years old..._**

**_Enjoy!_**

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**"These memories come back to life…and I don't mind…" - Miley Cyrus, "Goodbye"**

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PROLOGUE

_New Jersey, 1955..._

The old school building loomed over the cheery town like an interrogator in a court room; its old, gray, ivy-covered façade seemed out-of-date compared to the brightly-colored houses across the street. An old American flag hung limply on the rusting flagpole.

_Still the same old place… _Ralph thought to himself.

He looked up at a plastic banner. _Auction Today! _it read in red letters. Ralph laughed and shook his head, his dark brown bangs waving back and forth. What in the world could these people be thinking? There was nothing of value to be auctioned off at this school.

When he entered, the auction was already in full swing, dozens of items lining the space behind the podium where the auctioneer stood. No one seemed to notice Ralph slip in, except for a girl who seemed to be around his age. Her cropped auburn hair was hidden under a light tan hat with a coral ribbon around its center. She looked oddly familiar…

"Lot 665," the auctioneer said as his assistant held up a bright pink conch shell. "A coral-colored conch, donated by one of the alumni very recently. Not much is known about this particular item…May I start at five dollars?"

It was as if a light went off in his head. That conch…his old friend Jessica had spoken to him about that…it was a sacred item…from long ago…

He raised his hand.

"Thank you, sir," the auctioneer said. "Ten dollars? No? Going once…going twice…" The gavel went down. "Sold, for five dollars, to the man in the back row."

The assistant thrust the conch into Ralph's waiting hands. He examined it gingerly.

_She used to talk about you all the time… _he thought. _She said it was from…the island…_

Tears sprang to his eyes as he remembered the island…and Piggy…and Simon…

Jack had never made it back…

"Lot 666," the auctioneer continued. "A chandelier in pieces."

Another light went off in Ralph's head. That stupid light fixture…still here…He saw the girl in the hat start to blink fast, as if she didn't believe that the chandelier was sitting mere feet away from her.

"Some of you may recall the strange events of September 26th, 1942: a mystery never fully explained. Some say this is the very chandelier in which enemy troops cut down to try and burn the school…a move which drove to evacuation, and eventually led to one of our very planes crashing down on an island in the Atlantic Ocean. And still, others say that it was the school's guardian angel, warning them about the attack. We've fixed it up with our new, electric lighting…Perhaps we can scare away the haunting memories of so many years ago with a little illumination."

He turned to two men standing beside him. "Gentlemen…"

The chandelier exploded in a flash of light, and it began to rise toward the ceiling. A sudden cold rush swept through the room, and Ralph shivered as he stood, transfixed by the event taking place before his very eyes.

The girl in the hat looked at him, wary; her hazel eyes were rife with fear.

And then he knew.

_Oh, my God…Jessica…_

The chandelier continued its ascent toward the ceiling. Ralph felt as if he were being transported back in time…back to his days as a school boy…

Back to the days where there was no fear…


	2. 1: Boarding School Arrival

_Hey! I'd just like to thank Yuti-Chan for reviewing the story, and I'd also like to thank alexaisralph for reviewing the story and helping me with Simon's hair description (which will be showing up later in a future chapter). _

_I'd also like to thank some kids in my English class. We had to do a mock trial for Simon's death...and they had Ralph's last name be Smith. So...yeah..._

_I don't know if this one will be as good...just let me know if it totally sucked (BUT NO BASHING, PLEASE), and I'll try to make future installments better._

_Oh, and everyone's kind of different: Jack's nice, Ralph's kind of all about girls, Jessica is a...well, I'll let you read to figure that one out. But Simon kind of stays the same..._

_Enjoy!_

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PART ONE: HOPE DWINDLES

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"**I'm the other daughter, Elphaba. I'm beautifully tragic." - Elphaba Thropp, **_**Wicked**_

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CHAPTER ONE: BOARDING SCHOOL ARRIVAL

_September 3rd, 1942..._

Jack Merridew stood among the big sea of students. Today was his first day of boarding school, and already, he felt out of place. He had never felt relaxed in a big group of strangers.

"Isn't this amazing?" Jessica asked. "Our very first day of boarding school!"

Jack turned to his sister. "Jessi…it's boarding school. We were sent here because Mom had to take a job at the factory and couldn't afford to have us at home. You call that amazing?"

"Sure," Jessica said, not listening. "Now, stop talking, I wanna see if there are any girls who are dying to be my friend…"

Jack shook his head. Why did she have to be so ignorant? Ever since she had won that talent show in elementary school, Jessica had it in her head that she was God's gift to the world and that nothing bad would ever happen to her. And if something did…she acted as if it were the best thing ever.

Which was why she was so cheery about going to boarding school.

"Oh! There's one over there! Hey!!!" Jessica ran off into the crowd, leaving Jack with their luggage.

"What a stupid girl," Jack muttered.

"Man, isn't she great?" someone said.

Jack looked and saw a boy around his age standing beside him. "What?"

"That girl over there," the boy said, pointing to where Jessica and another girl were talking. "The one with the reddish-brown hair. She's beautiful."

Jack narrowed his eyes at the boy. "Really?"

"Yeah! Hey, is she single?"

"Yes. She's also my sister."

The boy's eyes widened. "Oh…um…well…"

Jack noticed how uncomfortable the boy was. "It's fine," he said, feeling bad. "I was just joking." He held out his hand. "I'm Jack Merridew."

The boy cautiously took his hand. "I'm Ralph. Smith."

"Oh, yeah…you live two blocks away, in the red house, right?"

Ralph nodded. "Yeah…I see you sometimes…with…her…" His gaze found his way back to Jessica, who was now talking to two girls.

Jack sighed. "If you really want, I'll introduce her to you later."

"You'd do that?"

Jack nodded. "Maybe having a boyfriend will do her some good."

Ralph looked ecstatic. "Thanks, dude! I owe you one!" He raced off and met up with a group of other boys, who congratulated him upon arrival.

Jack rolled his eyes. He had encountered Ralph's kind before. They only got close to a person so they could get to another person.

Couldn't he trust anyone here? There had to be someone who was truthful and would try to be good…

He looked back to Jessica. She and the two girls were now talking to a boy with unruly copper-colored hair. And they were…laughing.

Never a good sign with girls like Jessica.

Jack snuck over to them, eavesdropping.

"So, what's the deal with you?" one of the girls asked. "Cat got your tongue?"

The boy said nothing.

"Aw, he's scared speechless," the other girl said, smirking. "Just like him. Good ol' Simon, you can always count on him to say absolutely nothing."

The two of them started to laugh rudely. Jack noticed for the first time that Jessica wasn't laughing with them. That was odd. Usually, she would be the first one to unleash a string of insults.

"Come on, Jessica," the first girl said. "It's fun."

Jessica looked torn. Jack realized that she didn't want to hurt this boy. That was a first with her.

"You're a loser?" Jessica said slowly.

The two girls burst out laughing, the cacophonous sound battling with the other conversations going on. They walked away, Jessica looking guilty for once.

"Hey," Jack said, going up to the boy. "Don't listen to them. They just pick on people to make up for their own poor self-esteem."

The boy looked at him.

"Trust me. I know. That one who wasn't really laughing...she's my sister. And, yeah, I know. She's a bitch."

The boy gave him a small smile.

"Listen, if you have any trouble with them again, just tell me." He looked over at Jessica. "Trust me. It'll be no problem setting them in their places."


	3. 2: Simon the Angel

_Hola! Thanx again to alexaisralph for Simon's hair description!!! =D_

_Just a little note to everyone who reads this: the story may be slow at first. But that's only because it's leading up to the island part. I promise not to drag out the school part too long._

_Enjoy!_

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"**Can you know everything and nothing at all?" - Clarice Bean, **_**Clarice Bean, Don't Look Now**_

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CHAPTER TWO: SIMON THE ANGEL

Jessica really couldn't believe she was at boarding school. Sure, maybe her brother found it to be the worst thing in the world, but she was determined to have a good time. She wasn't going to let Jack's attitude dampen her spirits. Now that she was going to be a leader, she had to be strong.

She scanned the room for someone to talk to--about herself, of course--and saw a girl sitting on a suitcase, reading. She immediately went over and tapped her on the shoulder. The girl looked up.

"Hello," Jessica said pleasantly. "My name is Jessica Merridew."

"Oh…hi…" the girl said, a bit nervous. "I'm Sheila. Sheila Williams."

"Williams? Did you go to Birch Wood Elementary?"

"As a matter of fact, I did."

"I went there, too! You remember the fifth grade talent show?" Jessica found a way to turn the subject of the conversation on herself.

"Yes!" Her eyes widened. "Was that you who won?"

"Yep," Jessica said, feeling a surge of pride.

"Oh, my gosh! You are my idol! You were amazing!"

"I know," Jessica said smugly.

"Ever since then, I've admired you. Me and my best friend."

"Whose your best friend?" Jessica was eager to have more followers.

"She's right over there! Hey, Natasha!"

A girl with caramel-colored hair sprinted over to them. "Hi, Sheila! How was your summer?"

"Great! But that's nothing compared to this!" She pointed to Jessica. "This is Jessica. She's the one who won the talent show in fifth grade!"

Just as Sheila's eyes had widened, so did Natasha's. "Oh, my God!!!!" She started jumping up and down and squealing. "YOU ARE SOOOOOO AMAZING!"

The two of them started babbling at once. Jessica felt herself smile. This was exactly how she wanted school to be like. No more being picked on by the popular kids. She figured if you couldn't beat them, you had to join them. And that was exactly what she intended to do.

She started to look around for more girls to join their conversation when the world abruptly stopped turning. She felt her feet stick to where they were currently planted. Her mouth parted slightly, and her heart bounced around in her chest.

She tried to make herself move, but she couldn't. And all because she saw some boy standing across the way.

No. It wasn't just any boy. It was an angel. An angel with think, wildly curly russet-colored hair and deep, turquoise eyes.

She was caught off-guard when he turned to stare at her. Their eyes locked, and the gaze was held. Jessica took a sharp intake of breath. It was as if a bolt of electricity had gone through her. Her face felt warm, and she was sure it was tomato red.

"Oh, God," she heard Natasha say.

"What?" Sheila asked.

"I see that Jessica has seen my brother, Simon."

"I didn't know you had a brother."

Natasha's voice lowered. "I don't like to talk about it. He's so weird. He faints a ton, and he claims to see things."

"What kind of things?"

"Like…the future and stuff."

"Oh." A wicked smile appeared on Sheila's face. "Let's go talk to him."

"What?" Jessica wasn't ready to approach him.

"He won't mind," Natasha said, dragging her by the arm. "He's used to this."

The three of them went over to him. Jessica was sure that Natasha and Sheila weren't being very nice, but she wasn't paying attention. She was just hoping--praying--that he would look at her again…

"Come on, Jessica," Sheila said.

She shook her head to clear it. She really didn't want to hurt this boy--this perfect angel. But…if she was going to be popular…

"Um…you're a loser?" she tried pathetically. She turned away, not able to look at him anymore.

She let Sheila and Natasha lead her away, their harsh laughter sounding like plates breaking on concrete. Jessica felt horrible.

"Now I know why you don't talk about him," Sheila said.

"Yeah. You know, the only reason he was sent here is because Mummy and Daddy didn't want me coming by myself."

"Really?"

"Well, would you want to send your strange child to a school to make a fool of himself and embarrass you?"

"Good point…"

"You know what?" Jessica asked. "Let's stop talking about it."

The two girls obeyed, but they looked at her funny. "Why?" they asked at the same time.

Jessica looked up at a podium towards the front of the room. A woman was standing there.

"I think it's time for the assembly," she said simply.


	4. 3: Bench Assignments

_A/N: Thanks to JB Chick for reviewing, and thanks to everyone else who's reviewing, too! I never thought people would read this..._

_WARNING: TOMORROW I GO BACK TO SCHOOL. I may have a lot of homework...it depends. And my computer time has been cut down (I'm risking getting yelled at even as I type this). So updates may be every 1-2 days. Oh, and this weekend I'm going on a retreat, so...won't be on much._

_Enjoy!_

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"**You don't have the right friends….high school never ends." - Bowling For Soup, "High School Never Ends"**

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CHAPTER THREE: BENCH ASSINGMENTS

"Welcome, students, to another year here at Richfield Boarding School," Ms. Quillum said into the podium microphone. "I can tell that all of you are just as excited as I am to be here."

Piggy cocked his head to the side. Since when did she know how he felt about this place? If anything, she didn't.

Piggy hadn't wanted to come here. He knew he'd be made fun of because of his size and his glasses. But his parents insisted he go to socialize, and he couldn't disobey them.

"Right, then," Ms. Quillum continued. "I will be taking the first year students to their classroom." She clapped her hands. "All first years! Follow me!"

About forty-eight students followed the boisterous woman down the halls of the building. Piggy found himself gaping at the high walls and the marble floors. Where his parents got the money to send him here he didn't know.

"All right, class," Ms. Quillum announced upon reaching the classroom. "Here we are. I assume all of you received your room assignments out in the lobby."

Piggy glanced quickly down at a slip of paper he had been handed. On it was his name, another boy's name, and a number. According to the slip of paper, he would be sharing room 128 with a kid named Ralph.

"Crap," he heard someone beside him say. "Don't tell me you're…"

Piggy looked up to see a boy with brown hair. He was guessing this was Ralph.

"You have room 128?" the boy asked.

Piggy nodded.

"Damn…that's great…"

"What makes you so sure I want to be rooming with _you_?" Piggy challenged.

"Who gives a rat's ass what you think, Piggy? Yeah, that's what I'm gonna call you! Piggy!"

"Hey? What's your problem?" a boy with blonde hair asked, coming up to them.

"Nothing's wrong, Jack," Ralph answered.

"You shouldn't be picking on kids like that. It's rude."

"Oh, and since when did you become my mother?"

"Just do as I say and stop being such a jackass!"

"Mr. Smith and Mr. Merridew! Pipe down!" came the shrill voice of Ms. Quillum. "I'm assigning desks, if you two don't mind." She turned back to her clipboard.

Ralph gave Jack a menacing smile. "Seems like my mother's losing her authority."

Jack shoved him. "Just shut the hell up."

"Jack! Jack!" a girl called, rushing up to them. "Oh, my God! Guess who I have to sit next to for the whole, entire year?"

"Oh, I hope it's me," Ralph said out loud.

"Yeah, I wish," the girl said. "I'm sitting next to that weird kid with the copper hair. Isn't that horrible?"

"Simon isn't that bad," Piggy piped up. "His company is quite enjoyable, actually."

"Who asked you, fat ass?" the girl asked.

"Jessica," Jack hissed. "Shut up."

"Do I have to come back there?!" Ms. Quillum called.

"No," came a chorus of voices.

"Good. Now, take your seats."

.........

Simon was relieved when class was over that day. He just wanted to go to his dorm and sit in the closet; it was easier to gather his thoughts in a dark, enclosed area.

"One day down…a bunch more to go," Jessica muttered, getting up from the bench. "And sitting next to you just made those days seem a whole lot longer."

Simon arched his eyebrows. Just this morning, he was sure that he had made some sort of intimate connection with this particular girl. And now, according to her brother, she was acting like a bitch. Maybe she had multiple personalities…

"Do you ever talk?" she asked him.

Simon shrugged. "Sometimes."

"Why not all the time?"

Simon shrugged again. "I never have anything to say, I suppose."

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Why am I even bothering to talk to you? I should be going up to my room to meet my roommate and get settled." She sauntered out into the hallway, Simon close on her heels.

"Is there a particular reason you're following me?" she asked as he fell into step with her.

Simon shook his head. "No."

She stopped and turned to him. "Look. You seem like a…weird person. And I don't hang out with weird people, such as yourself. I hang out with popular people. So…how do I put this nicely…go away." She gave him an icy smile, and off she went.

Simon laughed and shook his head. Somehow, he'd make that connection with her.

All it took was a little time.


	5. 4: Roommates

_Hey, everyone! I plan to wrap up the school part of this story sometime this week or next week (like I said, it won't be too long...). And sorry if it's a little slow. It won't get much more exciting until the island part._

_So until then...happy reading!_

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"**Loathing! Loathing you...my whole, life long!" - Galinda Upland and Elphaba Thropp, **_**Wicked**_

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CHAPTER FOUR: ROOMMATES

Jessica stormed up the stairs to room 243. Already, her day wasn't turning out the way she wanted it to.

First of all, her brother was treating her like a little kid. Second of all, she had some creeper named Ralph who was in love with her. Third of all, her friends were being a bit like the stalkers she had seen in the movies. And fourth--and worst--of all, she had to pretend to loathe the boy she liked just so she could keep her popular status.

She sighed as she pushed open the door that bore the numbers 243. The day couldn't get any worse, right?

Wrong.

She entered the room, and sitting on the bed was a girl with fine, long hair, staring moodily into space. She didn't turn to look as Jessica walked to one of the beds.

"Hi," Jessica said, putting on her bouncy voice. "My name is Jessica Merridew."

"So I've heard," the girl said in monotone.

"Yeah, and as I'm sure you've also heard, I won the--"

"Does it look like I care?"

Jessica was taken aback. No one had ever spoken to her like that before. Well…except Jack…but he didn't count.

"Anyway," Jessica continued, waving that aside. "What's your name?"

The girl's head turned slowly to stare at her. Her brown eyes, although a dull color, were piercing in a way. "Laurie," she answered.

"No last name?"

Laurie continued to glare at her.

"Okay, then," Jessica said, flopping down on her bed. "Oh, my gosh, today was so horrible!"

"Don't care, princess."

Jessica sat up. "Excuse me?"

"Some of those other girls may think it's fun to put up with your I'm-the-best-thing-that's-happened-to-this-school act, but let me tell you I'm not tolerating it. You're a normal person like everyone else, and I don't see why you have to act otherwise."

"I refuse to be mistreated like this!" Jessica said, truly offended.

Laurie gave her a wry smile. "Welcome to boarding school."

.........

_You like her. You know you do._

_Yeah, but her brother's right. She's a bitch._

Simon opened his eyes and mentally sighed. This was not doing anything to help him with his current problem: Jessica. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall of the closet. It had now been a week since the first day of school, and she hadn't let up on her saucy attitude (and neither did her prissy friends, for that matter). Jack, his roommate, had defended him every chance he got, but because of the language he used (and the way he threatened to punch his sister in the face), Ms. Quillum always made him stay after class to clean the chalkboard.

Why did this have to be so difficult? Usually, he knew what a person was like by just one conversation: either they were good or bad. But Jessica…she was caught in the middle. She had two sides to her. And one was fake.

The question was…which one was?

A knock came from outside the closet. "Simon? You in there?"

Simon sighed. His thinking would have to wait.

"Yeah."

Jack opened the door. "I don't want to offend you or anything…but why do you sit in here all the time?"

"To think."

"Oh. About what?"

"A lot of things: home, school…girls."

Jack smiled. "You got your eye on someone?"

Simon nodded, phrasing his words carefully. "Kind of. She's…not really my type."

"Well…all I can say to that is you'd better make a move, before Ralph changes his mind on my sister."

Simon had to laugh at that. How ironic that statement was, and Jack would never know…

"Well, I just wanted to let you know I'm going to bed, so when you come out, it might be dark."

Simon nodded as Jack closed the door. He didn't mind the dark. It helped him think better.

And so he sank back into his confusing mind, puzzling over what to do about Jessica.


	6. 5: Giving In

_HEY! Sorry I didn't post anything the last couple days...I'm in high school. Story of my life._

_Anyway, I'd like to thank everyone who's sticking with me! You guys are FABULOUS!!!!_

_P.S. I don't own the rights to WICKED or "Popular" or "I'm Not That Girl"._

_P.P.S. Those of you who read this before I changed it...oh, my God, I'm SOOO SORRY!! I had no idea the last couple of paragraphs were that jumbled up! But now it's fixed, and it's easier to read..._

_Enjoy!_

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"**And it was easy…because you see the real me." - Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez, **_**High School Musical 2**_

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CHAPTER FIVE: GIVING IN

_September 12, 1942..._

"Talent show? What kind of gay thing is that?"

"Yeah! No one at this school has talent!"

"No talent that anyone cares about, that is."

Ralph said nothing as his friends complained. He didn't care what they thought. A talent show was a girl magnet.

And a Jessica magnet.

Sure enough, she was right beside the group of boys.

"I beg to differ," she said snidely. "I happen to have a beautiful voice. And I'm signing up."

"Let's not stand in your way," someone mumbled as they let her through to sign up.

"I think she'll do great," Ralph said.

Everyone turned to look at him.

"You're just saying that because you'd like to go out with me," Jessica said.

"Is it working?"

She was silent for a moment. "Surprisingly…yes."

Ralph felt his eyes grow. "Are you…"

"Does it look like I'm kidding?"

Ralph shook his head.

"Okay. I guess we're…boyfriend and girlfriend…sort of…"

"Cool," Ralph said, his eyes still wide.

"I'll see you later, then," she said, flouncing away.

The group of boys erupted in whoops and hollers, clapping him on the back. Ralph could only smile crookedly.

He had done the impossible.

.........

Jessica struck her final pose of her routine. She breathed heavily, but wore her signature smile.

Sheila and Natasha smacked their hands together. "Ooooh, you were so GOOD!!!!!!!!" they squealed.

"Thank you, thank you," Jessica said, curtseying in her hot pink dress with the ruffled skirt. "I was fabulous, wasn't I?"

"You were more than that," Sheila said, "you were…"

"POPULAR!!" she and Natasha finished, laughing at their own lame pun.

Jessica laughed with them. She knew that this was her song the moment she heard it on the radio. It fit her personality perfectly. It was bubbly, it was upbeat…and most of all, it was about being popular.

"You think I'm going to win?" Jessica asked, already knowing the answer.

"Did you really have to ask that?" Natasha said, out of breath. "No one else stands a chance!"

"They shouldn't even have everyone else perform!" Sheila chimed in. "You're a shoo in!"

Jessica nodded.

This was exactly what she wanted to hear.

.........

Simon was wandering the halls after classes had ended. He was following the sound of someone playing the piano…

He stopped at the doors to the auditorium and did a double take: Jessica Merridew sat at the grand piano, playing one of the most beautiful songs he'd ever heard.

The playing came to a halt, the notes sounding jumbled. "Whoever you are, I know you're there," Jessica said irritably. "So you can come out now."

Simon shyly made his way up the stairs to the stage. He saw her turn her head away, obviously annoyed.

"What are you doing here?" she asked sharply.

"I…heard you. Playing. I wanted to see what it was."

Jessica, still frowning, looked at him. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"Well, if you're wondering what it was, you won't have any luck. It's an original. By me."

"It is?"

She nodded. "I write songs in my free time. They're not that good…well, I guess I wouldn't know, because Jack's the only one who's heard them."

Simon felt a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Was she showing him what she was really like? And did she realize it?

"Could you…maybe play one?"

She looked from side to side. "Are you…sure? It's…not finished…"

Simon nodded. "I'm sure."

Jessica positioned her hands and began to play. It was a sad, almost melancholy tune; sweet and steady, like a music box. And...she seemed so pretty, her hands moving gracefully up and down the keyes. He had no idea a girl of her status could write something this...beautiful...

He was jerked out of his thoughts when he heard her start to sing.

**_Don't dream too far…don't lose sight of who you are…Don't remember that rush of joy…he could be that boy…I'm not that girl…_**

"Wow," Simon said. "You're…amazing."

She stopped playing. "You really liked it? Like I said, I'm not done yet--"

"Well, so far…I think it's…perfect."

She gave him an awkward smile. "That's…the sweetest thing I've ever heard. Thank you."

She glanced at the clock on the wall. "Oh, shoot! I'm late!" She scrambled off the stage and up the aisle.

Wait, where are you going?"

"I promised I'd meet Ralph. He and I are…sort of going out now." She waved. "I'll see you later! Thanks again!"

He heard nothing after "going out now". A bright light flashed in front of him, and he fell into unconsciousness.


	7. My Author's Note

Hi, everyone! This story wil have to be put on hold for the weekend...sorry! I have a retreat at "sleep-away" camp for my church...and I'll have no computer access the entire time. And by the time I get home...I will probably be WAY too tired to type anything. But the good news is that I got inspired by my science teacher about something that will be showing up in a future chapter that will further prevent Jack from trying to be good...I know, I get my inspiration from the strangest places!

Have a great weekend!

~ElphieThroppDG28


	8. 6: Attack of Niagra Falls

_Hi, everyone! Well, I've done it: I survived three nights and two days at camp. Among mountains of snow. In the middle of Wisconsin. With a few of my friends and a bunch of strangers I didn't know. _

_But the good news is I made new friends, and now we have like A TON of inside jokes! And I'll let you guys in on one of the random ones. So someone brought two pool noodles (don't ask why) and some of the guys were smacking each other with them. And I thought it kinda looked like something out of Lord of the Flies, so I called it Lord of the Flies with Pool Noodles. There were, like, six parts (one for each time there was a pool noodle battle), and then an epilogue when two boys were smacking each other with the noodles when we got back to our church. _

_Anyway, after pushing my tired self to type some more in this ensuing saga of drama and romance and violence and a ton of other stuff, here's another chapter! Enjoy!_

_P.S. The scenario for the science room is based on a true story that happened at my school. My science teacher was talking about the safety shower, and she told us a similar story to the one mentioned below. And, OMG, I was INSPIRED to use that! So...yeah, I credit her for that._

.........

**"I get the feeling in this town I'll never live till I live down the one mistake that seems to follow me around..." - Barenaked Ladies, "One Little Slip"**

.........

CHAPTER SIX: ATTACK OF NIAGRA FALLS

"And they found him just laying there?" Jack inquired skeptically.

"Yes! For the millionth time, yes!" Laurie answered, about ready to throw her lunch tray across the table at Jack. "That's what the teachers said."

Piggy could only frown behind his glasses. Word had got around that Simon had had one of his episodes in the auditorium the day before. Most kids didn't care, the bullies all laughed at it, and Piggy's friends all were really concerned.

But Piggy knew what the real problem was.

Piggy may not have been bright, but he knew his friends like he knew his auntie's five-thousand square-inch house. And he knew Simon hadn't just fainted because of...his condition.

He had also fainted because of Jessica.

Piggy could tell Simon liked her. And he was praying Simon would never figure out that Jessica and Ralph were...well, together.

But he had.

And it must have been horrible for him to hear.

"Here he comes," Jack whispered. "Act natural."

Simon planted himself down next to Piggy. Jack had ducked his head, and Laurie had gone back to glaring at her food. Piggy looked at Simon, whose face was a bit flushed.

"Anything wrong?" he asked.

Piggy felt Jack's foot under the table.

"OW! What was that for?"

"I know you know," Simon said quietly. "Everyone knows."

"Yeah, we know," Laurie said angrily. "And do you know why?" She pointed over to a table across the room where Jessica sat with her friends, Ralph, and his posse. "Because of that little smart-ass and her larger-than-life mouth!"

"It's not her fault, Laurie," Jack said. "She needed to tell someone."

"Yeah, well...did she really have to go screaming down the hallway about how he was twitching?! She could have calmly got the headmistress, and no one would have known!"

"Could we not talk about it?" Simon asked. "I...really don't feel like talking about..." He glanced at Jessica, who was looking over at them with an apologetic expression.

"Fine by me," Laurie said. "I have much better things to worry about than that little bitch."

Piggy glanced nervously at Simon. "You sure you're feeling better?"

Simon nodded. "I'm fine. Don't worry."

But Piggy wasn't convinced.

.........

Jack sighed. He wasn't the least bit happy at the moment.

"Gee, would it kill you to do some work around here?" he asked Ralph.

"Um...yeah," Ralph said.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Come on, Ralph. Mrs. Quillum told us we have to familiarize ourselves with the science room because we may be using it in a few weeks. And she said EVERYONE. That means you, too."

"I am familiarizing myself," Ralph protested. "You see? My butt is familiarizing itself with this stool. That counts."

Jack's eyes narrowed. "Just be lucky I don't report you."

"For what? Doing nothing?"

Jack shook his head. "You know what? Fine. If you want to just sit there like a bump on a log, be my guest."

"I'm doing much more than sitting, for your information," Ralph said, tapping his head. "I'm thinking about my date with Jessica."

"Oh, I heard about that," Jack commented. "What are you paying her?"

Ralph glared at him. "Ha, ha. Very funny. Actually, she'g going out with me for a totally different reason."

"And what's that?" Jack smiled smugly, knowing the only reason Jessica was with Ralph was because she wanted him to quit bugging her about it.

"Um...my boyish charm finally made its point."

"Sure..." Jack said, going over to Mrs. Quillum.

"Excuse me," he said. "May I go get a drink of water?"

"Just go back to the eyewash fountain, dear," Mrs. Quillum said. "It's easier. See the sink back there by the safety shower? All you do is press hard on the button-handle. Now, come get me if you need any help. I'll be in the office next door."

Jack went to the back of the room where the eyewash fountain was. He tried pushing on the button-handle, but nothing happened.

"Um...Mrs. Quillum?"

"Oh, for goodness's sake!" Jessica said, coming over. She slammed the button-handle, and the water started coming out. "You are such a whimp, Jack!"

"This from the woman who's failing gym class--"

"I told you not to talk about that!" she hissed.

"Okay, I'm done," Jack said to himself. "Now...how do I turn it off?"

"Don't you just push the button thing?"

"No...that doesn't do any good."

The water kept coming out and filling up the sink.

"That water's getting pretty high..." Jessica said nervously.

Jack turned to Ralph. "Ralph! How do we shut the water off?"

"Shut up, I'm trying to sleep," came Ralph's muffled voice from his arms.

"Seriously, Ralph, how do we turn it off?" Jessica called.

"Just pull the handle!" Ralph shouted. "I don't know!"

Jack walked to turn pull the button-handle. Unfortunately, the water had started to overflow in the sink and started to leak out onto the floor.

And it was right in Jack's way.

He slipped and, grasping for something to cling on to, pulled the handle.

To the safety shower.

.........

Simon shook his head, trying to get the water out of his thick hair. "Can Jack be in any more trouble now?" He and Jessica were the only remaining ones in the science room, which was now up to two-and-a-half feet of water.

"I don't think so," Jessica said, wringing out her towel. "I tried to explain to Mrs. Quillum it was a misunderstanding, but she won't listen to me."

"Why not? You're..."

"Just because I'm popular, doesn't mean people listen to what I have to say," she said, a bit frustrated on the subject.

"Oh."

Jessica sighed. "I...I'm sorry about...I didn't mean to make into such a big deal."

"It's fine," Simon said, not meaning it at all.

"Don't lie, I can tell you are."

"Okay, then...it bugs me. A lot." He paused. "I wish I could be somewhere else. Right now." He looked at the water. "You know what I'd do? I'd...take a boat. And sail away. To somewhere where no one would think I was different."

"Sounds like fun," Jessica said. "I wish I could do that. It's so much pressure to be...to be something you're not. And...if I could go somewhere new...no one would know who I was...and then I could start over. As me."

"I'll take you, then."

"Excuse me?"

"I'll take you sailing. Anywhere. We could sail anywhere we wanted. Somewhere where bullies and deception wouldn't exist..."

"That would be nice..."

They sat in silence for a moment.

"Wait...why am I telling you all this?" she asked.

"I don't know..."

"That's the thing! I don't even KNOW you all that well! I mean...I know we talked in the auditorium and just now about stuff, but...I really, really shouldn't be doing this."

"Why? Because you've got Ralph now?" Simon asked sharply.

"Oh, so is THAT what this is about?! Well, then, it's true! You really do like me!"

"Maybe I do. But maybe _YOU_ like _ME_."

"In a million years, buddy," Jessica snapped, jumping down from the table and making a splash. "There is no way in hell I'd like you." She straightened her shoulders, threw her head back, and sloshed out of the room.

Simon hugged his knees. Why had he blown that? He had promised himself he wouldn't tell her anything.

But...seeing her with Ralph...it just tore his heart out of his chest...

Before he knew it, Simon felt tears run down his face, landing--and eventually getting lost--in a sea of hopelessness.


	9. 7: My Inspiration

_Thanks to Meimei in Darkness (and everyone else) for reviewing! You guys keep me going, and I'm soooooooo thankful!_

_The first scene is somewhat similar to the scene in Wicked right before "I'm Not That Girl"...but I obviously changed it. So...yeah, I don't own Wicked. And the whole thing in the last chapter about sailing away to far away places...got that from Aida. Which I also don't own. And then the song...that's "I'm Not That Girl". Which I--again--also do not own. _

_After the talent show (which will be next chapter), there will only be maybe two more in Part One before I start on Part Two (the island part). I luckily got ahold of a copy of Lord of the Flies at the library, and thanks to my access to YouTube (and the person who posted the whole thing...that person's name slips my mind at the moment...), I can watch the 1990 movie and pick up some dialogue. I hope to try and combine these two together as best I can (I know that the movie and book are different...so bear with me if I screw something up...)._

_So...yeah! Enjoy!_

.........

"**Mimi, I see you…I hear it…I hear it…I hear it: my song!" - Roger Davis, **_**Rent **_

.........

CHAPTER SEVEN: MY INSPIRATION

_September 17__th__, 1942..._

The clouds gathered, and rain started to fall gently. Jessica sighed, shaking her leg for what seemed like the twentieth time in two minutes.

Where could he be?

Ralph had begun to get on her nerves more than usual. Spending a lot of time with him had proven to be a huge mistake on her part, but she didn't want to break it off because of her status (and because Sheila and Natasha would burn her alive).

"Waiting for someone?"

Her shoulders slumped as she turned around and saw the last person she wanted to see: Simon.

Her feelings for him hadn't changed at all since the first day of school. But then there was the thing with her friends and Ralph and the fact that she was giving her real self away every time she was with him. It was confusing to her, and she didn't like it one bit.

"I'm not speaking to you," she said, folding her arms and turning her back on him. "I believe we have nothing more to say to each other."

"You're saying something now."

"That's just to tell you that I'm not talking to you."

"But it's still saying something." He half-smiled, wincing in pain as he did.

She looked at him. "Why do you find joy in…annoying me?"

"I don't." He frowned. "I would never want to annoy you."

"Seems like you're doing a pretty good job of doing so," Jessica mumbled.

Simon sighed. "About a few days ago, it's just…"

"It was my fault," Jessica interrupted. "Forget about it. Don't even acknowledge it. Forget about it, and forget about me." She started to walk away. "End of story."

"You think I could just forget about it? Do you honestly think I'm stupid?"

Jessica froze. She didn't want him thinking that. "Um…no, I don't think you're stupid…"

She saw a smirk appear on Simon's face. "What?" she asked.

"You're starting to feel guilty, aren't you?"

"Yeah? Your point?"

"My point is no matter how shallow and self-absorbed you pretend to be…"

Was he trying to get her to crack again? Because it wouldn't work this time. She was going to be strong. She wasn't going to give in.

No matter how hard it was to look at him without turning to putty in his gaze…

"Excuse me," she said after gathering herself. "There's no pretense here. I happen to be genuinely self-absorbed and deeply shallow. And, yes, I happen to know that line is from the radio, but you know what? It fits the moment. And it totally describes me."

"No, it doesn't." The frown hadn't gone from his face. "You're not really like that. I know you're not." He started to turn away. "And if you won't admit it, then I guess I should just leave. For good." He began to head in the other direction.

It hit her that he was giving up on her. And he wasn't coming back this time.

"No, wait--" she said, reaching out to him.

Their hands connected. That same electric jolt that had gone through her two weeks ago came back. She felt her hazel eyes make an effort to lock with his beautiful turquoise ones. Her heart went into overtime, and somehow through their hands, she felt his doing the same.

They both let go at the same time. Simon was the first to speak.

"Um…I…Jack…and Piggy…and Laurie…they're looking for me…I should--"

"And I should look for Ralph…"

"And I should go look for Laurie…"

"_Laurie_?" Jessica almost spat her roommate's name.

"Yeah…" Simon was dazed, almost not in his right mind. "I should go look for…" He seemed off-balance.

"Are…you okay?" Jessica asked, not sure what to do.

"I'm fine," Simon said, still dazed. "Um…I'll see you…later…" He scrambled off, obviously embarrassed.

"Simon…"

Her face turned red as she said his name out loud. Had he really moved on?

That's what he had come to tell her. He wasn't interested.

A numb feeling settled over her as she stood in the rain.

She had blown it.

And…he wasn't coming back.

.........

Jack awkwardly put a reassuring hand on his sister's shoulder. He was sitting on her bed while she lay, face down, crying into the sheets. "I really don't know what else I can do," he said. "You…um…"

"I know I screwed up, okay?!" Even with her voice barely audible from her face buried in the sheets, he could still pick out the anger toward herself. "And I'll never be able to fix it!"

Jack was at a loss for words. He didn't specialize in relationship problems…or any girl problems, for that matter. But because Sheila and Natasha were busy with their homework, he had to sit here and pretend to give her good advice.

Something laying on the bedside table caught his eye. He picked up a pink-colored notebook that was labeled TOP SECRET: KEEP OUT. He started to flip through, only coming across random words.

"What is this?" he asked.

She sat up, her face blotchy from crying. "Put that down!" she shrieked, grabbing the notebook back. "That's my song notebook! No one can see it except me!"

"You're still writing songs?"

She wiped some stray tears from her face. "Well…after you told me to write all my ideas down in a notebook…I started to do that. I've had this since second grade."

"The year I learned I could actually sing."

"Right. The year you taught me to sing, too."

Jack cautiously took the notebook out of her hands, and she let him. He flipped to the latest entry, entitled "S's Song".

"Who the heck is 'S'?"

"No one," Jessica said, hesitation in her voice. "I just call it that because…I feel like it…"

"Does it mean Simon?"

"No!" she shouted. Then, after a moment, she sighed. "Yes, it's about him."

Jack skimmed the lyrics. "It's really good so far…you should do this for that talent show thing…"

"But I already said I'm doing my favorite song from the radio."

Jack groaned. "That stupid bubble-gum song? Jessi…are you _that _shallow?"

"After today...I don't think I can be..."

He handed the notebook back. "You're doing this song."

"But…it's not even finished."

Jack looked at her. "I can fix that."

.........

The next few days went by in a blur. Jack and Jessica spent all of their free time together, brainstorming ideas and working on the tune of the song. Jack was the one who finally came up with the name (even after Jessica kept insisting to keep it as "S's Song"). Finally, the day before the talent show, they had something worth being proud of.

"Thanks, I guess," Jessica said. "I really needed that after…"

"I know. And you're welcome."

They stood outside Mrs. Quillum's office.

"I'd better go in quick," Jessica said. "She said all finalized acts were to be submitted today."

"You want me to come with?"

She seemed reluctant at first, but then took his hand shakily. "Yes, please," she answered quietly.

Jack gave his twin's hand a squeeze, and they went through the wooden door.


	10. 8: I'm Not That Girl

"**Sometimes I wake up, and it's [the music] there. Or I'll hear it when I'm walking down the street. It's like someone's calling out to me. Writing it all down is my way of calling back to them." - August Rush**

.........

CHAPTER EIGHT: I'M NOT THAT GIRL

_September 25__th__, 1942..._

"You are going to do great!" Sheila said.

"I don't know…" Jessica still hadn't told her friends--well, more her followers--about the last-minute song change. She still decided to wear her pink frilly dress, but only because she thought it'd be a good contrast to the song (which it was).

"Take a deep breath, I know you'll knock their socks off!" Natasha called over her shoulder as she and Sheila walked away.

"Oh, I'm sure I will…" Jessica mumbled to herself as she waited patiently to go on.

.........

"Remind me again _why _you three dragged me to this?" Laurie asked, already bored.

"Jessica's singing a song," Jack reminded her.

"So? She sings all the time. Big deal."

"It's still nice to come and support her," Piggy insisted.

"Shut up, fat ass."

Piggy frowned. "And what has you all cranky?"

"Being here." She sighed. "Can I _please_ leave?"

"No," Jack and Piggy said together.

"Fine," Laurie conceded, sulking in her seat.

.........

Jessica heard Mrs. Quillum say her name. She took a deep breath.

This was it.

She walked over to the piano and handed Mrs. Quillum the music. She sat on a stool that sat in a single spotlight on the stage. She held a cordless microphone, her hands shaking.

"Um…before I start, I'd just like to say thanks to my brother, Jack, for helping me with this song. He knew I was going through a rough time…and I'm glad he was there to help me finish this. So, thanks, Jack.

"Also…this song is dedicated to someone special."

An "ooohhh" arose from the audience.

"I…want to keep this person anonymous…but I'd just like to let that person know it's dedicated to them. You know who you are."

She exhaled as Mrs. Quillum started the opening the chords of the song.

Here went nothing.

_**Hands touch, eyes meet**_

_**Sudden silence, sudden heat**_

_**Hearts leap in a giddy whirl**_

_**He could be that boy**_

_**I'm not that girl **_

For a few short moments, she relived that connection she had had with Simon only six days before. Just as in the song, her heart leapt and started pounding.

_**Don't dream too far**_

_**Don't lose sight of who you are**_

_**Don't remember that rush of joy**_

_**He could be that boy**_

_**I'm not that girl**_

Ralph had been excited to see his girlfriend sing in the talent show. He figured it'd be an in-out type of situation: he'd sit, she'd sing, he'd leave, he'd congratulate her, he'd go to bed.

He had no idea that the lyrics would mean this much to him.

Perhaps he knew better than anyone what it was like to be someone you're not. As a boy, he, like Jessica, had been bullied. He tried building himself as someone tough, and it had worked.

But now…hearing those words being sung by someone who was in his place…he felt that things had to change…

_**Every so often, we long to steal**_

_**To the land of What-Might-Have-Been**_

_**But that doesn't soften the ache we feel**_

_**When reality sets back in**_

Jack didn't want to feel too proud or anything, but he couldn't help but smile. His sister was doing something she loved to do, singing a song that they had written together.

He could only hope Simon felt the same. After all their hard work, he was about ready to force Simon to like the song.

_**Blithe smile, lithe limb**_

_**She's who's winsome, she wins him**_

_**Gold hair with a gentle curl **_

_**That's the girl he chose**_

_**And heaven knows**_

_**I'm not that girl**_

Piggy glanced warily at Laurie. Even though she wasn't any of those things besides blonde…he couldn't help but have a feeling that that verse was about her. He had figured out during the very first line of the very first verse that this song was about Simon, who had told him about his encounter with Jessica in the rain.

As a musical interlude of two measures ensued, Simon fought to blink back his tears. He knew in his heart that the song was for him. He had no idea that Jessica felt that strongly about him.

However…it wasn't going to work out. He didn't know which side of he was real anymore. And he wasn't about to give her another chance to prove herself.

For a split second that seemed to last for hours, their eyes met. The next words struck a powerful cord in him, and he no longer felt the need to hold his emotions back.

_**Don't wish, don't start**_

_**Wishing only wounds the heart**_

_**I wasn't born for the rose and the pearl**_

_**There's a girl I know…**_

_**He loves her so…**_

_**I'm not…that girl…**_

The finals notes were hit, and the crowd erupted in ground-shattering applause.

.........

"She didn't sing the right song!" Natasha said. "But who cares? SHE WAS STILL AMAZING!"

"Whatever she does as amazing!" Sheila agreed. "I'm sooooo happy she won!"

"And I'd be sooooo happy if you two would shut up," Laurie muttered.

"Laurie," Piggy scolded. "She was good…don't dampen the moment."

"She was amazing," Ralph said. I still can't believe…"

Simon said nothing. Shock was still on his face.

"I'm going to go look for her…" Jack said, realizing his sister wasn't present.

.........

He found her in the main hall.

"You okay?" he asked.

Her face was streaked with tears, but she nodded. "It's just…I know now."

"What?"

"It's never going to work…between me and…"

"At least we tried," Jack said. "And…now we have a song to be proud of."

"I suppose…"

"Hey." He hugged her. "Don't sweat it. Everything's going to work out for the better."

They walked down the hall, not knowing what would happen the following day.


	11. 9: Defying Gravity

_Hey, everyone! I know the following scenario really sucks...but just go with it, please! It's 1942..._

_Thanks again to everyone for reviewing! _

_AND NOW I CAN START ON THE ISLAND! YAY!!!!_

_And so we return to the story...on that fateful day...when everything went wrong..._

.........

**"Be safe." - Edward Cullen, _Twilight_**

CHAPTER NINE: DEFYING GRAVITY

_September 26th, 1942..._

"All right, class, settle down," the bored choir instructor said. "We have a lot to do today."

Jack could hardly keep still in his seat. His very first day of choir. Sure, the robes were heavy and black and warm…but he got to be the leader!

"Mr. Merridew," the choir instructor said, "do you wish to go to the bathroom?"

"No, I'm--"

"Just take the pass and calm yourself."

Jack was handed a piece of wood and pushed out into the hallway.

.........

Jack was walking back from the bathroom when he heard a faint humming sound overhead. He looked out through the glass-domed roof and saw two planes passing. He shrugged and started to walk when he heard the humming grow louder and louder…

He looked up and saw that the planes were dangerously close. And…they didn't look like American planes…

He sprinted down the hallway.

He had to do something.

.........

Jack made it to the storage room where the main alarm was. He jumped over storage boxes and other things to get to the handle.

This was his chance to prove he wouldn't screw anything up.

Just as he reached for the handle, he tripped over a crate. Along with pulling the alarm, one of his hands got entangled with the rope to the main chandelier.

His head connected wit the wall, and everything went black.

.........

"All students are to go to their assigned evacuation planes," a voice came over the loudspeaker. "I repeat, this is a code red."

"Oh, my God!" Sheila squealed. "What's happening?!"

"The school's being attacked! What else?!" Laurie shouted.

"Calm down, everyone!" Mrs. Quillum said. "We are to exit swiftly and silently to the emergency exits to the planes and--"

"Everyone is to be out of the building immediately!" the voice said, almost scared itself. "The chandelier has crashed. I repeat, the chandelier has crashed. The school is on fire."

"AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

.........

"Well, I suppose this is goodbye for now," Natasha said a bit passively.

Simon hugged his sister. "Just promise me you'll be okay."

"Whatever," she said, pulling away and going off with Sheila.

Simon shook his head. His sister would never change.

"Okay," Ralph said. "Me and Piggy and Simon are here. Laurie's getting on the girl's plane."

"So are Sheila and Natasha," Piggy observed.

"And…Jessica…" Simon said quietly.

"You guys!" Jessica ran over to them, getting out of the line to the girls' plane.

"Speak of the devil…" Ralph said.

"Not now, Ralph! Please!" Fear was in her eyes. "Where's Jack?"

.........

"Everyone, please! Calm down! We will be boarding the planes shortly and be flying to different locations to ensure our safety!"

Jessica couldn't take it any longer. She bolted from the line she stood in.

She had to find Jack.

.........

"Jack! Jack!"

Jack opened his eyes, his memory a bit hazy. "What…? What happened?"

"We don't have much time!" Jessica came into focus, worry written on her face.

"What's wrong? Did I save everyone?"

"I don't know! Someone pulled the alarm because the chandelier crashed and now the school's on fire and…" She threw her arms around him. "I'm scared, Jack!"

She stiffened and raised her head. "Wait…YOU pulled the alarm, didn't you? And that meant…" She walked over the rope and looked at her brother. "You didn't…"

"It was an accident! I…I must have pulled it on accident when I was trying to pull the alarm! There were planes flying over the school, and I thought they were going to attack, and…" He started to cry. "I don't want to die!"

"Shh," she coaxed. "It's just a misunderstanding. If you tell Mrs. Quillum and everyone what happened--"

"No! Never again! She'll blame me, and I'll get in trouble!" He stood up. "Just…we gotta get out there! I know there are a lot of kids in this school, considering the middle school, too…but we have to leave now!"

Jack started running out of the room. "You coming, Jessi?"

He stopped when he realized she wasn't following him. He turned and saw her grabbing a choir robe that looked like the one he wore off a clothing rack.

"Jessi! Now's definitely not the time for dress-up!"

"I'm going with you," she said.

"What?"

"I'm going on the plane with you."

"What? No, you are NOT! You have to go on the girls' plane going to Chicago!"

"I'm not leaving you! Natasha and Simon are being separated! And…I saw that there are storm clouds gathering…there's going to be rain…just hear me out on this--"

"No," he said firmly. "We have to follow the rules. No more breaking them." He bolted from the room, tripping over his choir robes.

"Says you," Jessica said, pulling on the choir robe. She stuffed her auburn hair into a cap, and ran from the room just as it started to be enveloped in flames.

.........

**_Afterword_**

_The two planes--the girls' and the boys'--were set to fly off to different locations: Chicago and New York. Jessica was able to successfully sneak onto the boys' plane without being questioned. The planes took off successfully, a raging fire in their wake. Simon and Piggy had no idea that that was the last time they'd see Sheila, Natasha, Laurie, or their homes._

_Jessica was right about the storm. Rain began to fall shortly after takeoff, and due to the pilot's hangover from the previous day, he was easily lost in the storm clouds. The plane went off-course toward a group of islands located in the Atlantic Ocean._

_The plane crashed, and the boys (and girl) were strewed over the water. Some of the older boys found life-rafts floating nearby, and were able to gather as many boys as they could. They sailed off to an island not too far off from the crash site._

_The remaining twenty-eight boys (including Jessica) were stranded with the hung over captain on an unfamiliar island. They spent the night scattered over the unfamiliar terrain, not knowing what the following days would bring…_


	12. My Revised Author's Note

Hi, everyone! Well, as everyone can tell, I've finished Parte Uno of Flamingo in a Flock of Pigeons. Yay! Anyway, I know this is kind of asking a lot, but if I could get at least five more reviews for this story, that would be fantastic. Just a, you know, reassurance that I should continue...I'd like to know how people feel about the story and if there's anything I should change...

So...yeah. Please review and Oz-speed!

~ElphieThroppDG28


	13. A Step Too Far

_And now...for your grooving pleasure...as a sort of prologue to Part II...a presentation of "A Step Too Far" from the hit Broadway show "Aida"...sung by Ralph Smith, Simon Fitzpatrick and Jessica Merridew! _

_*crowd goes wild*_

_I've changed some of the lyrics to fit the situation. BUT I DO NOT OWN THE SONG OR THE SHOW OR ANYTHING!!!!!!!_

_Thanx to JB Chick for reviewing! I'd like at least four more reviews before I continue, please!_

_So...yes! Enjoy!_

.........

**"A Step Too Far"**

**RALPH**

It's so strange, she doesn't show me

More affection than she needs

Almost formal, too respectful

Never takes romantic leads

There are times when I imagine

I'm not always on her mind

She's not thinking what I'm thinking

Always half a step behind

Always half a step behind

Oh, oh, oh, oh

Oh, oh, oh, oh

Oh, oh, oh, oh

**SIMON**

I'm in every kind of trouble

Can't you tell? Just look at me

Half ecstatic, half dejected

All in all, I'm all at sea

Someone whom I thought I wanted...

Now her name fills me with dread

You could never know the chaos

Of a life turned on its head

Of a life turned on its head

Oh, oh, oh, oh

**SIMON AND RALPH**

Oh, oh, oh, oh

Oh, oh, oh, oh

Oh, oh, oh, oh

**JESSICA**

I am certain I love Simon...

But a love can be misplaced

Have I compromised my brother

In my passion and my haste?

I could be with him forever

Anywhere but where we are

Am I leader? Am I traitor?

Did I take a step too far?

Did I take a step too far?

_[The following verses are sung at the same time...]_

**RALPH **

It's so strange, she doesn't show me

More affection than she needs

Almost formal, too respectful

Never takes romantic leads

There are times when I imagine

I'm not always on her mind

She's not thinking what I'm thinking

Always half a step behind

Always half a step behind

**SIMON**

I'm in every kind of trouble

Can't you tell? Just look at me

Half ecstatic, half dejected

All in all, I'm all at sea

Someone whom I thought I wanted...

Now her name fills me with dread

You could never know the chaos

Of a life turned on it's head

Of a life turned on it's head

**JESSICA**

I am certain I love Simon...

But a love can be misplaced

Have I compromised my brother

In my passion and my haste?

I could be with him forever

Anywhere but where we are

Am I leader? Am I traitor?

Did I take a step too far?

Did I take a step too far?

**RALPH**

Oh, oh, oh, oh

**RALPH AND SIMON**

Oh, oh, oh, oh

**RALPH, SIMON AND JESSICA**

Oh, oh, oh, oh

Oh, oh, oh, oh

Oh, oh, oh, oh

Oh, oh, oh, oh

Oh, oh, oh, oh

Did I take a step too far?


	14. 10: Girl on the Island!

_Thanks to jennyjen14, JB Chick, Meimei in Darkness, and alexaisralph for reviewing!!!!!!!!! Love you guys!_

_I'm still trying to get a copy of the movie...I'll most likely get it next weekend (after I'm done with the one-acts...OMG they'll be fun, but man I will be SOOOOOO happy when they're over...)_

_Enjoy!_

.........

PART TWO: ALL HOPE IS LOST

.........

"**You're the saddest bunch I've ever met, but you can bet before we're through: mister, I'll make a man out of you." - Shang, **_**Mulan **_

.........

CHAPTER TEN: GIRL ON THE ISLAND!

The land was on fire. She tried running from it, but it was always surrounding her.

She saw Simon and Piggy…floating…just hanging in the air, watching. She saw Jack…his face distorted…an evil grin living there. And she saw Ralph…scared and alone…crying out for help.

And then she saw a pig head, sitting on a stake…sharpened at two ends.

.........

Jessica awoke, breathing heavily. She immediately shut her eyes, for the sun was already beginning to make its trek through the sky.

"Well, it's about time," she heard someone say.

"I never knew guys slept in that long!" someone else said.

"Dude…" She heard Jack's voice, and then felt a sharp pain in her side as he kicked her. "Earth to sleeping blob on the ground. Come on."

She groaned, but knew it was hopeless. She struggled to her feet, her legs feeling like Jell-O. Swallowing pints of saltwater and thrashing her way to the life raft the previous day had really taken a lot of energy out of her.

Jessica found herself and the other choir members on some sort of beach. She had a feeling they were on an island…

Then it hit her.

The plane had crashed.

The pilot wasn't in his right mind.

They were a million miles from nowhere.

Surrounded by water.

And she was alone.

With a bunch of boys.

Shit.

"Where do you suppose we are?" someone asked.

Everyone automatically turned to Jack. Jessica remembered that he was the leader of the choir, and that meant the other boys would look to him for guidance.

"I don't know," Jack answered.

Before Jessica could speak up, they heard a strange sound coming from far away. It sounded like a horn, almost.

"What was that?"

"I…I think we should follow it…" Jessica spoke up in her best guy voice. "You know…see where it's coming from. Maybe some of the other kids on that plane survived."

"Good idea," Jack said. "Let's go, boys."

They made their way down the stretch of beach. Jessica noticed that all of them--including herself--were having a hard time walking. She guessed it was because of the heavy choir robes. She rolled her eyes. Why in the world did the school supply such ridiculous apparel?

She suddenly bumped into the guy in front of her. He turned around, and she made eye contact with the most electrifying turquoise eyes…

"Oh, I'm sorry," Simon said apologetically. "Am I in your way?"

"No," Jessica said, almost melting from his gaze. Then she cleared her throat when she realized she hadn't spoken in her guy voice. "I mean…no, it's my bad, dude. I wasn't paying attention. Why'd we stop?"

Simon pointed ahead, and Jessica realized that there was a group of about twenty-eight boys gathered. A boy with dark brown hair was holding a coral pink conch shell. Jessica recognized him as Ralph.

_Damn it! What's _he_ doing here????_

"Okay, listen up," Ralph said. "Whoever has the conch gets to speak. That's the rule"

"Is this like assembly?" one boy asked.

"Yeah. Only whoever wants to speak gets to."

"Only if they have the conch," Piggy chipped in.

"Right," Ralph agreed. "Now, there doesn't seem to be anyone here except us."

"But we don't know for sure," Jack said. "We gotta explore more."

"Right," Ralph said. "There's a lot of things we have to do. But the main thing is we're not by ourselves. Captain Benson survived the crash."

He gestured over to a man in a bundle of translucent netting. Jessica remembered seeing him on the plane…

"The most important thing is who knows we're here?" Piggy said. He now had the conch, and was looking at everyone behind his very thick glasses. "Nobody knows we're here. They knew where we were going…but they don't know where we are because we never got where we were going."

"Where were we going?" someone asked.

"All I know is we were being evacuated," Jessica said in her guy voice. "Because of…" She trailed off when she saw Jack stare at the ground. She immediately felt guilty for bringing up her brother's mistake.

"I'm sure they're out looking for us," Ralph said. "We should set up some sort of steady signal, like a fire, so they'll know we're here."

That was when Simon fell over.

The kids around him moved away immediately, whispering.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Is he crazy?"

"Oh, my God…" Jessica sank to her knees, knowing she had to do something. It was obvious that the other around her were just going to stare.

"Simon?" she whispered, shaking him. "Simon…?"

"He fainted," Jack said, not really caring. "He does it all the time, remember? He'll be fine in a few minutes."

Jessica's eyes widened. She was giving herself away.

"Oh…yeah, I totally knew that…" she stammered in her guy voice. "I…you know…forgot."

Jack stared at her. "May I have the conch?" he asked, his gaze not leaving her face.

Her face turned red as she backed away. The boys reassembled to as they were, and she saw her chance to try and help Simon.

While the boys went on to vote Ralph as chief, she continued to shake him. "Simon, wake up," she whispered. "Please, sweetie…wake up…"

"Doesn't matter who's chief," Ralph told everyone. "Just matters that we work together. First, we gotta build a camp."

"No," Jack said, and a gasp arose from the crowd.

"Are you insane?" Ralph asked.

"No," Jack said again. "I'm not. The first thing we need to do is…"

Jessica suddenly felt her brother's presence beside her. He jerked her to her feet to face him.

"Just what, exactly, do you think you're doing?"

"Um…" Jessica tried to keep her guy voice going. "I seriously think he's in trouble and--"

Suddenly, Simon lifted his head and looked around. "What happened?" he asked dazedly.

"You passed out," Jack said. He turned back to Jessica. "I told you so. And if you were part of the choir, you'd have known that."

Jessica tried her best to stare him down. "What are you implying…dude?"

"I'm implying that you're not a GUY!!"

On the word "guy", he whipped the cap off her head. Off went her protection, and out came her shoulder-length auburn hair.

The crowd went up into gasps and worried whispers.

Ralph looked confused and happy at the same time.

Piggy stared with his mouth open.

Jack wore the most furious look she had ever seen.

Simon could only blink and say , "Jessica…?"

Jessica knew she had to do something. "Okay…you guys know now," she said. "I disguised myself as a boy and snuck onto the plane. But it was for a good reason! I didn't want to get separated from my brother!" She hugged Jack, putting on some fake tears. "We're just too close to be separated!"

"God, get off of me, woman!" Jack said, pushing her away. "Get a grip! You may be a great singer, but your acting isn't something to talk about."

She shoved him. "Whatever! My point is, I'm here. And there's nothing you guys can do about it."

"She's right…" Ralph mumbled.

"Oh, shut the hell up!" Jack said, whirling on Ralph. "You're just defending her because you're still going out!"

"We are not!" Jessica said. "That ended, like, yesterday! Wow, where have you been?"

"QUIET!!!!!!!!" came Piggy's voice.

Everyone turned to stare at him. He had the conch in his hand.

"I say we go with Ralph's plan and start building a camp," he said. "Regardless if there's a girl here or not."

"Piggy's right," Ralph said, taking the conch. "We have to stick together. Who knows, maybe having a girl here'll help."

Everyone scattered to look for supplies. Jessica and Jack were the only remaining ones.

And out of nowhere, he embraced her.

"Jack…I can't…breathe…losing…feeling…!" she choked.

"God, you never, ever do something that stupid again," he said, not loosening his grip. "But I'm happy you're here." He kept one of his arms around her as they started to walk towards the others. "I think I'm going to need a reality check while we're here."

Jessica nodded absently. "Um…that's great and all…but can I take the robe off now?"


	15. 11: The Power of Fire

_Hey, everyone! I'm sorry I haven't posted anything in a while! School and the one-acts are taking up a lot of my time lately..._

_But it's a long weekend! And the one-acts end today! AND I'm getting the movie from the rental store! YAY!!!!!!!_

_P.S. Jack's the one to come up with the whole Piggy-sucks-to-ass-mar thing, not Ralph. And sorry if it's a bit choppy..._

_Enjoy!_

.........

"**I'm slippin' into the lava, and I'm tryin' to keep from goin' under…" - Jonas Brothers, "Burning Up"**

.........

CHAPTER ELEVEN: THE POWER OF FIRE

They split up into two groups: one stayed on the beach to build camp, while the other went exploring. Jessica decided that she needed to stay with the boys building the camp (she had never once lifted a finger her whole life, and she knew that now was the time to start).

She and the other members of the choir had been able to take off the hideous robes and discard them in a huge pile further along the beach. She now wore the girls' blue button-up silk uniform shirt and the black choir pants. As she watched the other boys slowly strip free of their uniforms, she prayed to God that they at least wouldn't take of their underwear (and that they wouldn't ask her to do so).

"Having trouble there?" one of the boys asked.

Jessica looked at her less-than-satisfactory knot that she was trying to tie. "I'm having no trouble at all, thank you," she told him.

"But you're--"

"--doing it all wrong--"

"--it's supposed to be--"

"--up and over--"

"--as opposed to--"

"--down and under."

She was startled to now see two boys standing beside her, identical twins. "How do you guys do that?"

"Do what? We're--"

"--not doing anything, really."

She shook her head and turned back to her knot. "Jack?" she called.

Her now shirtless brother ran to her side. "You need something, Jessi?"

"Yeah…how do you tie a knot?"

"Oh, it's easy," he said, tying a strong knot as he did so. "See?"

Jessica stared with wide eyes.

Jack giggled. "It's okay. I'll teach you sometime." He got onto someone's back to cut some more vines.

"We have to take precautions, or it won't matter!" Piggy insisted.

Jessica turned around and saw Piggy talking to someone up in a tree. He seemed agitated.

Jack successfully cut more vines with his pocketknife. "What wont' matter?"

"If we get rescued," Piggy answered.

"You'd better start learning to live with yourself," Jack said simply, now tying another knot. "Because we ain't gonna get rescued."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm just being logical. Think about it: a plane goes down in the middle of the ocean and there's no wreckage. Who's gonna find us?"

"Why don't you just shut up."

It was more of a statement than a question, and indicated the beginning of a fight. And Jessica wasn't sure she liked it.

"You guys, calm down--" she started.

"Are you telling me to shut up?" Jack scoffed.

"Everyone, seriously, stop--"

"What we need around here is positive people," Piggy said. "Not people trying to scare people."

"Come on, guys, don't do this--"

"What we don't need around here is you, shit for brains."

Jessica punched her brother. "God, what the hell is your problem?"

"Yeah!" one of the twins said. "His name isn't Shit-For-Brains, remember?"

"It's Piggy!" the other one said.

"Oh, yeah! Piggy!"

The boys all started laughing. Jessica shook her head.

Ralph appeared suddenly, not too happy. "Everyone just shut up!" he demanded.

The laughing came to a halt, but the boys still wore smirks on their faces.

Jessica pulled Jack aside. "What was that for?"

"Come on, Jessi. We were just kidding."

"Doesn't seem like that to me."

Jack sighed. "Jessi, please--"

"You know what? How would you feel if you had to wear glasses all the time and suffer from asthma--"

"Suffer from WHAT? Ass-mar?"

"Asthma," Jessica explained. "He has trouble breathing sometimes. I've seen him."

"Sucks to his ass-mar, then."

"Jack!" She put up her hands. "Not now." She paused. "We're in a new place, and a majority of the people here we hardly know. So…I say we both start over. On a clean slate. The both of us."

She stuck out her hand. "Do we have a deal?"

Jack was hesitant at first, but finally took her hand. "Deal."

.........

Later that day, Jack sat on top of a huge, grassy hill, matches and a matchbox in hand. He and the others were going to try and build a fire.

Jack and one of the littler boys were trying to light the big pile of sticks they had arranged into a tepee, but to no avail. Jack cursed in his head. He wanted the dumb thing to light already.

He wanted to show people he was capable of doing things by himself.

"I wanna try!" Ralph whined.

"I got it," Jack said, a bit frustrated.

"Jack, let someone else try, please," Jessica said. "It's been five minutes."

"Jessi, I've got this down," Jack told her.

He tried lighting a match, but kept failing miserably. "Shit!" He tried again. "Damn! Mother--"

"Swearing won't help!" Piggy said.

Jack's anger got the better of him. He stood up and shoved Piggy. "Listen, Piggy! Just shut your fat ass mouth!"

Jack didn't know why he had just done that. Back at school, he and Piggy were very close friends. But here on the island, they were worlds apart.

"Hold it!" Ralph came between the two of them. He turned to Piggy, and Jack saw a light go off in his head. "Wait a minute…Piggy, let me see your glasses."

He didn't wait for a reply. He snatched the glasses right off of Piggy's face, Piggy whining in protest. Ralph held the glasses at an angle so that the glass caught the sun, and a spark ignited on the pile of sticks.

As everyone cheered and Piggy angrily took his glasses back, Jack was a bit put out. He had wanted to start the fire. He was supposed to be the hero. At school, Ralph was the jerk and Jack was the misunderstood kid who would eventually do something great. Here, it was vise versa.

Jack shook his head. They weren't at school anymore. They were here (although he didn't know where here was), and here, he could be anyone he wanted to be. It was just like Jessica said. _Start over on a clean slate._Now was his chance to take over Ralph's role--and perfect it.

"Uh…guys?" Jessica was slowly backing away.

"Jessica? What…?"

The boys turned to see that the fire was starting to rage out of control, spreading through the grass to the only tree on the hill.

"Jesus, it's spreading!" Ralph exclaimed.

"Put it out! Someone, put it out!"

"Stomp on it!"

The boys began to frantically stomp out the fire. They used sticks and whatever else they could find.

"Jessi, get back!" Jack said. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw she had obeyed, standing beside Piggy.

When the fire was finally out, the tree was burned and so was part of the grass. Ashes replaced where the sticks had once stood.

Piggy smugly smiled. "You got your damn fire," he said.


	16. 12: Island Life

_Hey! Sorry if this is a little rushed..._

_P.S. I don't own "Song of the Mira"_

.........

"**I'm alone in the universe…so alone in the universe…" - Horton the Elephant and Jojo Who, **_**Seussical **_

.........

CHAPTER TWELVE: ISLAND LIFE

That night, all of the boys gathered on the beach around a campfire (save the few who were keeping the signal fire going). Simon had been assigned to watch Captain Benson in case he woke up (which there was a very slim chance he would). Simon didn't care. He needed time to think.

But it was a bit hard to with…her sitting only two feet away…

How in the world had Jessica gotten onto that plane? And without getting caught? He was hoping that once he was in New York, he'd never have to bother with her again. His heart was still in pieces after what she'd done to him.

Why was she even trying to fix it?

"The forest was totally dark," Jack said, his voice ominous. "But he had to keep going…because the Thing was behind him. The pus was everywhere. He could feel it. And all the while, the Thing kept coming closer…"

The boys around the campfire were shaking fearfully. Jessica tried not to look scared, but she hugged her knees tightly.

Jack continued. "And then…suddenly…he realized it wasn't any normal kind of plants or bushes he was trying to run through. It wasn't the leaves or plants that were brushing up against him…touching his arms and face. It was thousands of claws--long claws--grasping at him, trying to stop him and hold him for the Thing. And he tried to get away, but they held on, choking him!

"He tries to scream! AAAGGGGHHHH!"

The ringing of shrill cries arose from the circle. Jessica fell off the log she sat on and accidentally kicked Jack in the face.

"Damn it, Jessica! You just nailed me in the face!"

"Sorry," she said, still tipped over backwards.

Simon rolled his eyes.

She'd have to try a lot harder than that if she ever wanted his attention again.

.........

"Man, you gotta stop worrying so much, Ralph," Jack said the next day.

Ralph gave him a skeptical look. His arm was in a sling because he had sprained it during the crash, and that story Jack had told the previous night had really scared most of the little kids. No one wanted to take a step off the beach now.

"I don't know…," Ralph said.

"We got it made, dude. No parents, to teachers, no boarding school, no girls--"

"What about Jessica?"

"She's my sister. She doesn't count."

"To you, at least."

"You know my point. Of course…I wouldn't mind getting a little every now and then…"

"Like you ever got any," Ralph mumbled.

"Well, I still wouldn't mind…and I don't mean those bitchy girls at school…I'm talking…better girls."

"Better girls?"

"Yeah…"

Jack suddenly pushed him over. They started a wrestling match, ending up in the water and laughing like mad.

And for once, Ralph didn't feel worried at all.

.........

_**Out on the Mira, on warm afternoons…old men go fishin' with black line and spoons…and if they catch nothing, they never complain…I wish I was with them again…**_

Jessica sat in one of the shelters, looking to the setting sun, clinging on to the horizon, reluctant to go under. She knew how it felt. She didn't want to fall asleep. She hated being on an island…far away from home…

_**Can you imagine a piece of the universe…more fit for princes and kings?…I'll trade you ten of your cities for Marion Bridge…and the pleasure it brings…**_

"Where's Marion Bridge?"

Jessica shrugged. "I don't know--"

She frowned when she realized that Piggy was sitting beside her. "Why do you even care?"

Piggy looked at her. "You and Ralph are the only ones who've been nice to me. It's funny…you guys hated me at school…but here, you don't…"

Jessica sighed. "A lot can change a person in a short amount of time, I suppose."

Piggy laid down. "Can you keep singing?"

"Why?"

"My auntie says that if you sing to someone while they're sleeping, it makes them smarter. And she used to sing all the time. It's the only way I'll get at least eight hours of sleep."

"Okay…" Jessica shrugged again.

_**Out on the Mira, the people are kind…they treat you to homebrew and help you unwind…and if you come broken, they see that you mend…I wish I was with them again…**_

_**Now I conclude with a wish you go well…sweet be your dreams and your happiness swell…I'll leave you here, for my journey begins…I'm gonna be with them again…I'm gonna be with them again…**_

She heard soft snores coming from Piggy, signaling to her that he was fast asleep. She walked out of the shelter to get a glimpse of the last rays of the dying sun.


	17. 13: Sibling Rivalry

"**I found out what they meant by your best friend can be your worst enemy." - Char, "Girlfriend"**

.........

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: SIBLING RIVALRY

"Are you telling the truth?"

"Yeah." Simon was sure he was.

"You're lying," one of the twins said.

"Yeah, we don't believe you," the other one said.

Footsteps crunched behind the group of boys. "Why aren't you getting ready?" a voice asked.

The five of them turned to see Captain Benson, a bit disheveled, standing behind them. Looking…not crazy.

"Sir…is it really true?" a boy asked.

"You bet it is," he answered. "Simon's right. We're gonna be rescued. Get your things together, guys. We're going home."

Simon couldn't help but give a small smile. All this was really too good to be true…

.........

Simon opened his eyes. It was the middle of the night. He knew, somewhere in a corner of his brain, that he had been dreaming.

He rolled over to see Captain Benson still in a coma. Nothing had changed.

_**On my own…pretending he's beside me…**_

Oh, no. Not again. Simon couldn't stand hearing…her…sing. It just gave him another reason for regret, another reason to reconsider taking her back.

_Block it out, Simon…remember, she's a bitch…_

_**All alone…I walk with him till morning…**_

Before he could think anymore, he fell back asleep.

.........

The next morning, Jessica sat on the hill in the midst of three sleeping boys, watching the sun rise. Suddenly, she had the impulse to go into the forest and…look for someone…

She felt her feet walking, but her brain wasn't connecting with them. She didn't know why she had to go to all the trouble to fight her way through the forest just to see…

Simon?

She froze and ducked behind a tree. He stood by a limb, holding an iguana gingerly. He seemed so gentle with it…just seeing him so in tune with nature made her heart jump…

Which reminded her that this couldn't happen. Ever.

She began to back away when her foot snapped on a twig. "Damn it!" she hissed.

She saw Simon look up. She went back behind the tree.

"I know you're there, whoever you are. Please come out."

Jessica saw no other way, and stepped out from behind the tree.

"Jess? What are you--"

"Ask my feet. They seem to have minds of their own today." She felt her face grow warm at the sound of his nickname for her.

He laughed at that. She didn't know to take that as good or bad.

"Look," she said. "We haven't gotten along that great at school…and…I'm really sorry--"

"How about we agree to be friends?" he said suddenly.

"Huh?"

"I think it'd be better if we were…you know…since…it didn't really…" He gave a frustrated sigh. "Well…you know what I mean."

This tore her heart out. _Just friends? _She could never settle for anything like that with him.

"I don't know, Simon," she said truthfully. "I don't think I'm ready for that."

"So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that…maybe…we should…never speak to each other again," she said slowly, tears already forming in her eyes.

She could tell that what she had said hadn't only affected her. Simon seemed in a state of shock.

"Oh…if you…really want it that way…"

"And if it's okay with you…"

"Which…it is…"

"Then it's fine with me…"

They stood in an awkward silence. Jessica urged herself to break it.

"So…I guess this is goodbye…for good."

"When you say it like that, it seems a bit foreboding," she heard him mumble.

"It's a foreboding subject," she told him.

"You can say that again."

Another awkward silence ensued. Jessica leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

"Goodbye, Simon," she said, and ran into the woods.

.........

The conch's sound went out over the island. Everyone stopped what they were doing to listen.

"You've got to be kidding me," Ralph said to himself. He was the only one who blew the conch. So…who was right then?

He decided not to worry about it. He had to deal with the other boys on the island and their excessive need to goof off. He didn't understand why they couldn't buckle down and actually do some work.

"Who ya think's blowing it?" Piggy asked him as they made their way to the meeting place.

"I don't know…but he's going to get in super big trouble when I get ahold of him."

"Um…are you sure you don't mean _her_?"

"What do you…"

He trailed off when he saw Jessica, on the platform, blowing into the conch like there was no tomorrow. Her face had dry streaks running from her eyes to her jaw. Ralph decided she must have been crying.

"What in God's name are you doing, Jessica?" Ralph called to her.

"Can't a girl call an assembly once in a while?!" Her voice cracked as she talked.

Ralph stepped back a little.

"Whoa…" Piggy said.

Everyone had gathered, and Jessica began to project her voice.

"The reason I'm calling this assembly is because too many of you little jerks are screwing around when we should be working. Ralph and Piggy are the only ones actually busting their butts to get stuff done, while you little numbskulls just go off and f around twenty-four seven! There's a bunch of things we could be doing right now, but I have to call this damn assembly because no one can think for themselves and can actually do anything!"

With every word, her voice grew louder and more angry. Ralph knew it was time to take over the meeting. "Go sit down, Jessica. You did good."

Jessica nodded, her lower lip trembling as she got down from the platform.

"Jessica's right," Ralph said. "She's absolutely, completely right. None of you are doing a thing around here except screw off. We should listen to her and start to actually work."

"Aw, Ralph still has the hots for my sister!" Jack said. "Maybe you actually have a chance this time! I heard she and Simon aren't interested in each other anymore!"

The group of boys were riled up now, taunting Ralph and laughing like hyenas. Ralph felt his face turn several shades of red.

"EVERYONE SHUT THEIR GODDAMN MOUTHS!" Piggy shouted. "RALPH'S GOT THE CONCH!"

Ralph noticed that that wasn't stopping Jessica. She went right over to Jack and slapped him in the face. "That'll teach you to go around and talk about my business! God, what's wrong with you?!"

"Jessi, come on. I was just having a little fun."

"At my expense. And you're always 'having a little fun'! Well, you know what I think of you, you good-for-nothing-son-of-a-bitch?! YOU CAN JUST GO TO HELL, FOR ALL I CARE!!!!!!"

"Ooooooh," the boys said mockingly. Jack smirked at her, as if to say, _What are you going to do about it?_

Piggy went over and led Jessica away from Jack. "Come on, Jessica. Leave them."

Ralph saw his chance to speak. "You see what I mean? This is a result of not doing anything all day. All I'm saying is that we need a little more discipline. And more spear fishing, while I'm thinking of it. We gotta have real food."

A little boy approached Ralph. "Sir? Are we ever going home?"

Ralph knelt down to his level. "Of course we're going home."

"Jack says we're never going to be rescued."

"You just misunderstood him, is all. That's not what he meant."

"That's exactly what I meant," Jack said rudely. "There's eight million islands out here. Why should they find this one?"

Jessica stood up and came over to the little boy. "You know what, sweetie? Jack's just a big asshole, okay? He's just trying to scare everyone because he has nothing better to do with his sad, pathetic life. So just don't listen to him. If he ever says anything like that again, then come talk to me, alright?"

The little boy nodded and hugged Jessica.

"Trust me, honey," she said, glaring at Jack. "We'll be rescued…I hope."


	18. 14: Broken Dreams

_Hi, everyone! Again, sorry if it's a bit choppy..._

.........

"**Don't think about the way things might have been." - Christine Daae, **_**Phantom of the Opera**_

.........

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: BROKEN DREAMS

Jack was carving a face into a rock later that day. What Jessica had said to him earlier was really eating at his brain. Was he really turning into an asshole?

If he was, then he had to try and stop or…something. If he was going to be the hero, he had to be nicer. But it was so hard to be good…what with all these boys looking to him as a leader. He now knew how Jessica felt at boarding school.

"Jack…are you going hunting for pigs later?"

Hunting pigs. His new favorite pass time. But the little buggers were always faster than him and his knife.

"Hey, pig hunting? I wanna come!"

"Me, too!"

"I don't know what I'm gonna do," Jack said. "My Goddamn sister's making me think."

"Don't bother with her, man! She's just a girl! What can she do to anyone except spread her sickingly sugary goodness everywhere?"

The gathered boys laughed at that. Jack tried to laugh, but found that he couldn't.

"Hey, guys," he said. "She's my sister. I'll make the jokes about her."

The boys fell silent, and Jack went back to carving in the rock.

.........

Ralph and the twins--Sam and Eric--were spear fishing. They weren't catching anything. And it would have been easier if there weren't rocks coming out of the sky and--

Wait a minute…

Ralph looked up to see Jack and a boy named Roger chucking rocks at them. "Cut it out!" Ralph said. "It's not funny!"

They threw a couple more rocks before they left.

"You know why Jack got sent to boarding school?" Sam asked rhetorically.

"Because he was in trouble," Eric said.

"Who says?" Ralph asked.

"Some kid named Tony. He said Jack stole a car--"

"--and drove it on the highway--"

"--Jessica keeps saying--"

"--it's not true--"

"--and that they went to school--"

"--because their mom couldn't afford to have them home--"

"--but she's always defending him--"

"--and we don't believe her."

Ralph shook his head. "She'll say anything to defend him. They're fraternal twins, and she told me they used to be really close before…school…"

"Yeah! There she was such a bitch--"

"--and was always thinking about herself--"

"--I wonder what made her--"

"--change so quickly."

"Yeah," Ralph said as he scoped the water for fish. "I wonder…"

.........

Simon sat on a tree trunk, watching the iguana crawl over his hands. He had to keep his mind away from…

Just thinking about not thinking about her made each piece of his broken heart rip in half. He was stupid to suggest they could be friends. It was obvious she was sorry. And it was also obvious that she liked him. A lot.

And he knew that he liked her, too…

_You do not. Just admit it. You've been in love with her since the first day of school._

Fine, then. He was in love with her. But it wasn't ever going to work. That would never happen.

He wondered if everyone's love story was this complicated.

He heard voices nearby. He got up and walked through the trees to a small clearing where a group of boys stood with long sticks.

Hunting spears.

"We have to have strategy," one boy said, sharpening his stick. "You know, trick them."

"And how are we supposed to do that?" another one asked.

"We just have to smoke them out," Jack said.

"We have to practice on stuff that moves," a third boy said. He spotted the iguana on Simon's arm and knocked it off with his spear. Then he stabbed the squirming creature.

"Ew…"

"Jesus Christ…"

Simon's mouth opened slightly. He bent down and picked up his dead iguana.

"You dumped Jack's sister for a lizard?"

"I'm not surprised. He's always been a bit batty."

Simon noticed that Jack said nothing. He just stared at the iguana. One could only imagine what was going through that boy's mind…

Simon slowly backed away and then turned around. Now that his only friend was gone, he didn't know what he was supposed to do.

And trying to make amends with Jessica was not an option.

Behind him, he heard a groan, and footsteps through the brush. And the groan sounded like…Captain Benson…

"SIMON!!!!"

.........

That night, Simon was sitting with Captain Benson, who was back in his netting. Ralph called the hunters to talk.

"Simon can't stay with him every single second," Ralph said, trying to keep his voice down. "And he's scared of everyone else."

"Well, _I'm_ scared of _him_," someone said. "He's crazy."

"We gotta do something," another boy said. "Maybe we should tie Captain Benson down so he can't move."

"Yeah," Jack agreed. "Either we do that or we get rid of him."

"Come on," Ralph said. "He has a fever. We've gotta take care of him."

"Why bother? He ain't gonna make it," Jack insisted. "We've gotta take care of ourselves."

"All I want is for him not to get so lonely over there."

"Then why don't you sit with him?"

"He doesn't talk…to anyone…"

A light bulb went off in Jack's head.

"Hey, Ralph? I think I've got an idea…"

.........

"Explain to me why you're having me sit with…those loons…again?" Jessica asked as Ralph led her to Captain Benson and Simon.

"Simon gets pretty lonesome--"

"How do you know? For all you know, he maybe likes being by himself."

Ralph sighed. "Listen. I know you two are…not speaking to each other. But hear me out on this. If you sit with them for at least…ten minutes, that would be fine. Just…do it for their sakes. I'm worried about the both of them."

Jessica looked at the netting and knew there was no way out. "Fine," she said, and marched over.

She sat down cross-legged, folded her arms, and looked at Ralph. "I'm sitting," she said.

Ralph groaned. "I'll be back in ten minutes," he said. "Just give it that long, please." He walked away.

There was an eerie silence for a few minutes. Jessica took a couple sidelong glances at Simon.

_Maybe if he sees I'm not interested, he'll start talking to me. _

Nothing happened.

Jessica became bored. She had nothing to do. There were no wrist watches on the island, so she didn't know when ten minutes would be up.

Captain Benson stirred in the netting. She jumped.

"Oh, my God!"

"It's fine," Simon said quietly. "He does this sort of thing."

"Of course," Jessica said. "I…I knew that."

Simon snickered. "Sure you did."

Jessica frowned. "Whatever."

"Well, you didn't."

"So what if I didn't?"

"I'm not--" He stopped short. "I thought we agreed never to talk to each other again."

"Oh," Jessica said, remembering. "Right."

The silence settled over them. And it was killing her.

"Simon?"

"Um…yes?"

"I just wanna say--"

"Okay, Jessica," Ralph said, coming up to her. "Ten minutes is up. You can go now."

Jessica wanted to protest, but she knew it wouldn't do any good. She got up and walked away with Ralph, trying her hardest not to look behind.


	19. 15: Another Camp

"**It was bad, I got mad, and I had to get her out of my sight." - Roger Davis, **_**Rent**_

.........

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: ANOTHER CAMP

He was gone.

Nowhere to be found.

And off into the jungle they went, to find him.

And Jessica wasn't happy.

She'd never been a morning person, and she didn't care all that much about that stupid Benson, either. He was the craziest adult she'd ever known. So what if he'd got up and left? Maybe he swam away.

_Damn…why didn't he take me with? _

"Earth to Jam!"

She snapped out of her thoughts and glared at her brother's friends. "What did you just call me?"

"Jam," one said. "You know…since your full name is Jessica Allison Merridew. J-A-M. Jam."

"And…who told you this?"

"Jack."

That jackass.

"Oh, he did, did he?" She leaned close to their faces. "Well, Jack isn't in charge here, is he?"

They shook their heads.

"And who's in charge?"

"Ralph, ma'am."

"Good. And what does Ralph call me?"

"Jessica."

"Well, then…you need to call me Jessica, unless the chief tells you otherwise. Or else…"

"Or else…what?" they asked, their voices shaky.

"Or else…I will make each and every one of you squirts wish that you'd never been born." She smiled. "Let's keep looking."

They scurried away, eyes wide. She had to laugh.

"That wasn't very nice," Piggy observed.

Jessica pushed aside a fern leaf. "I don't have to be nice to them. And I don't have to be nice to my moron of a brother. I can do what I want."

"But don't you think you should at least try to be civil?"

Jessica shrugged. "Why should I?" She pushed her way farther into the forest. "If they wanna be jerks, let them. I'm not stopping them."

.........

Ralph, Simon, Jessica and Piggy were out by the fishing place and finally found some sort of hint to what happened to Captain Benson: his clothes. Simon immediately picked them up, devastated.

"It's no one's fault, Simon," Ralph said, trying to sound consoling. "He just didn't know what he was doing."

"I don't think it's what you think," Simon answered. "I don't think he's dead."

"Why not?"

"Well, for one thing, where are his shoes?" His eyes were pleading. "We've gotta keep looking."

"No…more…looking…," Piggy panted. "Curse…my…asthma…"

"You guys, I think we should stop," Jessica called over the roar of the waves. "Piggy's suffering from his asthma again."

"Simon…I don't think he's here," Ralph said. "He probably swam out in his shoes."

"And what about his belt?" Simon was talking more to himself now. "He left his pants, but swam out in his shoes and belt?"

"He was crazy, Simon. Always was."

"But…it doesn't add up…" Simon shook his head, his copper hair flopping slightly. "We gotta keep at it. He's alive…I can feel he is…"

Jessica went up to him. "You know what? We're all tired and we're all ready for a break. And you're just going to work us into exhaustion. So you can go look for Captain Crazy Pants if you want, but Piggy and I aren't going to. And if you end up combing through every single square inch of this island, then so be it." She turned on her heels and led Piggy back up the rocks.

Ralph stared after them. He knew Jessica was still hurt about whatever had happened between her and Simon, but he didn't know it had hurt her that deep.

And, apparently, it had a deep effect on Simon, too.

"Dude…she's a girl…and…you know how girls get when they're emotional."

Simon looked at Ralph, tears in his eyes. "I love her," he said softly.

Ralph knew what he said, but wanted to make sure he had heard right. "What?"

"I…I love her," Simon repeated. "But…it's just too difficult…"

Ralph didn't know how to respond to that. All he could do was sit while Simon started to cry.

.........

"I've been thinking about a clock," Piggy said a couple days later. "We could make a clock."

"Yeah, sure, Piggy," Ralph said sarcastically. "Then a TV, maybe a radio…and a portable phone."

"I think he means a sundial, genius," Jessica said.

"That's what I meant," Piggy said. "A sundial."

"Then why didn't you just say so in the first place?" Ralph asked.

"Maybe he didn't feel like it," Jessica defended.

"What's gotten into you, Stix? Is something wrong?"

_Yes, _she wanted to say. _Everything's wrong. I'm on some strange island in the middle of the ocean with a bunch of immature boys, I'm in love with someone who'll never speak to me again, and my brother's gone off and smeared himself with blood and dirt. What do you think's wrong?_

Instead, she shook her head. "I'm…just worried, is all. Did you see what Jack did to his face? It's…red. Blood red. He's…changing…"

A faint humming sound came from overhead. A helicopter suddenly came into their line of sight.

They took off running to the signal fire. When they got there, the helicopter flew on, almost oblivious to their presence.

"OVER HERE!!!!!" Ralph called over and over. "OVER HERE!!!!!"

But the helicopter didn't stop.

Jessica looked at her feet. "I think I know what the problem is," she said.

The fire was out.

.........

Twenty minutes later, everyone was gathered at the usual meeting spot. Jack and his friends were carrying a big, black pig, hanging from a pole. Jessica shuddered.

"If you guys hadn't let the Goddamn fire go out, they'd've seen it," Ralph said angrily.

"Hey, man, we were hunting," Jack protested.

"Oh, yeah, you killed a pig," Ralph said. "What a great accomplishment. Face it, Jack, you f*cked up. We could've been rescued."

Jack stood up. "Back off, man! I'm sick of your shit and so is the rest of my gang!"

"Your gang?" Ralph asked, disbelieving. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"What it means, colonel, is that if you know what's good for you, you'll stop trying to run everything!"

He shoved Ralph, and the two of them started fighting. "Stop it!" Piggy cried, trying to break up the fight. Jack pushed Piggy over, sending Jessica into a frenzy.

"God, you two! Knock it off! Can you be any less mature?"

"Come off of it, Jessi! I'm sick of all this shit, and I know you are, too! I'm gonna make another camp for hunters and guys who wanna have a little fun!"

A chorus of "Yeah!" arose from the other hunters and a few other boys.

"Come on, Jack, that's crazy!" Ralph said. "We've gotta work together! What'dya say?"

"I say f*ck you! And that goes for you, too, Miss Piggy!"

"Like that's gonna help, swearing your fool head off!" Jessica said.

"Just shut the f*ck up, Jessi! You don't know what the hell's good for you anymore because these idiots have brainwashed you into thinking otherwise!"

"They have not! You're the one who's brainwashed! All you ever wanna do now is hunt for pigs! Doesn't it matter to you if we get rescued or not?!"

"I said shut up, Jessi!"

"NO!"

They glared at each other for a moment, and everyone seemed to hold their breath.

"Let's get out of this kindergarten, guys," Jack said, motioning for his friends to follow him. "Come on, Jessi."

"No."

Jack and the others stopped. He turned around. "What did you just say to me?"

"I said no. I'm not leaving."

"Oh, can't bear to part with your precious Simon, huh?"

A few snickers were audible. Simon ducked his head in embarrassment.

"I'm not doing it for him. I don't do anything for him anymore. I'm doing this because I know what's right. And it's pretty obvious that following you isn't. And if you would like to go off and kill pigs and make a complete jackass out of yourself with the rest of those bastards, then fine. Go ahead."

"Maybe I will, bitch."

"Swearing gonna make you a man?"

"What's it to ya?"

"Nothing. But I'd just thought you'd like to know that I'm not playing this game anymore, Jack. Not with you. As of right now…you're not my brother anymore."

She could tell that this caught him off-guard. He was at a loss for words before he turned around and stormed off with the other hunters.

_Good riddance, _she thought.

But in her heart, she felt that she had just made a terrible mistake.


	20. 16: A Monster Emerges

_Hey! This one's a little short..._

_P.S. "On My Own" a few chapters back...don't own it._

_P.P.S. Idk how Ralph started to call Jessica "Stix"...maybe it'll be a way to kind of try and get over the fact that they aren't together anymore (and the shock's still wearing off...)._

.........

"**He's here…the Phantom of the Opera…" - Chorus, **_**Phantom of the Opera**_

.........

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: A MONSTER EMERGES

"They're back!" Ralph pointed excitedly at an overhead helicopter. "Simon, they're back!"

The helicopter spontaneously exploded. Right before his eyes.

No chance of rescue…

.........

"Simon?"

Simon's eyes flew open.

"It's only a storm," Ralph said. "Don't be scared."

.........

Ralph regretted saying those words the next day. Both of their shelters had collapsed during the storm, and they had spent the night in three small groups, separated in the jungle. In the morning, they had regrouped, realizing that all that was left was a bunch of debris.

They decided to go and try to look for the others. Well, Ralph had decided to. He had seen how distraught Jessica had been lately since the fall-out she had had with her brother, and he wanted her to feel better.

They were close to the rocks when they came upon another dead pig, similar to the first one the hunters had killed.

"Ew…"

"That's sick…"

"Nasty…"

Sam and Eric knelt by the pig, picking at it with nearby sticks. "Where are they?"

"They didn't get blown away," Ralph said, thinking out loud. "They've probably just gone hunting."

"What good is that gonna do?" Piggy asked.

"Really," Jessica agreed. "What's so great about hunting pigs? It's barbaric…it's uncivilized…it's savage."

"I was talking about how they couldn't cook pigs without a fire," Piggy said, "but you're right, too. I guess…"

"Listen, Stix," Ralph said, "we've all been a bit on the shaky side since…well…you know. But it's okay. They'll see reason. Eventually."

"I'd rather have them see reason right now," she muttered.

.........

They climbed the hill to light the signal fire. Simon was a bit hesitant to go up there because that's where his nightmare the previous night had taken place.

And it wasn't helping at all that Jessica was sitting near the edge, or that there was a breeze blowing, or that her hair was gently floating, and that when the sun reflected off of it, or that it was one of the most beautiful sights he'd ever seen…

He turned back to the fire.

He had had enough dreams to last him a lifetime.

.........

Jack was irritated at the moment. He had been hunting--the one thing he could do to escape the corrupt world he lived in. It was dangerous, it was exhilarating…and it was totally Jessica-free. And at the moment…he needed something of the sort.

What was her problem, anyway? She was one to suggest he start over on a clean slate. And that was what he was doing. He was being a cooler version of himself, and he didn't see what was so wrong with that.

But the point was, his hunting had been interrupted because some stupid kid had claimed to have seen something.

"What's all this dumb shit I hear about a monster?!" he demanded. "Are we gonna have to send you back to kindergarten?!"

"I'm serious," the boy said, scared.

"Okay…what kind of monster?" Jack asked mockingly. "Did it have fur and poison fangs? Or long, slimy tentacles?"

"It growled…," the boy answered, breathing heavily. "And it came out at me. And its mouth…it was wet."

"Maybe it was a bear," someone suggested.

"Probably more like a reptile," someone else said.

"Sounds more like bullshit to me," Jack said. But he knew that no one would go hunting until they checked this monster out.

.........

Sure enough, Jack and one of his hunters were outside the cave that the "monster" was supposed to be hiding. The others were down on the forest floor, looking up expectantly.

A noise came from the cave. Jack's heart rate went up a little. So maybe there _was _something in the cave. It didn't mean that there was a monster…

But it did to the others. They immediately took off running.

Bastards.

However, one more look in the cave and he couldn't take it any longer. Whatever the thing was, he didn't care. The two of them went off, following the others.

"We heard it, all right," Jack panted, once he had caught up. "Whatever it is, it's in there."

A thought came into his head. He grinned wickedly as he walked off.

The monster was now an advantage.

A big one.


	21. 17: The Rift Deepens

**"Waiting for you is like waiting for rain in this drought: useless and disappointing." - Samantha Montgomery, "A Cinderella Story"**

**.........**

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: THE RIFT DEEPENS

Jack and two hunters were on the hillside, somewhat interrogating two littluns who were tending the signal fire.

"You should have seen it," Jack was telling them. "He was scared shitless." He held a stick to the flame, trying to create a makeshift torch.

"You think there actually was something in there?" one of the littluns asked. "Some sort of wild animal or something?"

"I _know_ it," Jack answered. "We heard it growl."

"Is it close?" the other littlun asked.

"Just over the big rise behind our camp. Real close," Jack said, feeling a swell of pride when he said "our camp". _He_ had a camp. _He _was the leader.

In your face, Ralph.

"Holy shit," the second littlun muttered.

"Just thought you'd otta know," Jack said, standing up with the smoking stick. "Thanks for the fire."

He and his hunters walked away, leaving two scared littluns behind.

.........

"You mean no one's on fire watch?!" Ralph exclaimed.

"Why can't we have it down here? By the camp?" a littlun asked.

"Because, stupid," Jessica said, "if we want someone to see it, it's gotta be up there!"

"Well…no one wants to be up there alone anymore. There's something loose on this island."

"A monster!" another said.

"Or something," a third threw in.

They stopped walking. In front of them were two hunters. Ralph couldn't see her, but he could feel Jessica tense up behind him.

"What the hell do you losers want?" she asked.

"Jack wants the survival knife!" one hunter announced.

"It's not his!" Piggy said. "It's belongs to our camp!"

"Oh, yeah?" the hunter named Roger challenged. "There's a new camp now, and he wants it!"

"Yeah! And Tony wants his shoes and all his other junk."

"Boo-frickin-woo, wimps," Jessica mock cried. "We all can't get what we want, can we?"

"Take Tony's stuff, but you can't have the knife," Ralph said.

"Tony's a defector!" Piggy said. "Just another damn defector!"

"Because of the monster," someone piped up.

"I told you there's no monster!" Ralph was mad now. "Tony knows there's no monster, but he just wants to be a hunter and all and he's too chicken to come down here and get his damn junk himself!"

"But what if there is some kind of big animal?" someone asked skeptically.

There was silence after that. The hunters started to leave, two little boys following them.

"Oh, great, two more traitors," Piggy observed.

"Sorry, Ralph," one said as he walked away.

"Good riddance," Jessica called. "Bastards."

Ralph sadly looked on, then went into the shade of a fallen tree and hugged his knees. He didn't mind if anyone saw him cry. Things were too hard right now to hold it all in.

He suddenly felt arms around him, and let whomever it was hug him. He realized it was Jessica, and started crying on her shoulder.

"Stix…what do we do?"

.........

Most of the boys were now down to their underwear. Piggy dawned his wife beater and uniform pants. Ralph wore his oversized red boxer shorts.

Jessica, personally, hated her own clothing. The choir pants were now more like choir shorts, revealing her knobby knees. Her blue shirt was virtually destroyed, the collar completely gone and only two strings hanging where the sleeves had been. She was forced to tie them around her neck, embarrassed that the shirt was now exposing her midriff.

And she didn't even _want _to think about her hair. It was getting a bit unruly, so she had to take her school tie and pull it back in a ponytail. She'd never been fond of wearing her hair up.

_Why am I even thinking about this? _she questioned herself. _I should be sleeping right now._But she couldn't. Every time she tried to close her eyes, she saw her brother and his war paint. This had been happening for a few nights now, and she knew her eyes were close to bloodshot.

A twig snapped. She sat up. Something was stalking the tent…

"Ralph? Piggy?" She shook them awake. "Something's out there."

"Stix, there's no--"

The shelter came crashing down. Screaming boys surrounded them for a second before running off. Jessica saw that it was the hunters, and in her brother's hand was the knife.

"Bring that back!" Ralph shouted. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

They heard a whimpering behind them. Piggy held his glasses--and one lens had a huge crack on it.

"Oh, Piggy…" Jessica said.

"They broke my glasses," he wailed, crying and drooling at the same time. Although it was a bit unsightly, Jessica immediately put her arm around him.

"Shh…it's okay, Piggy…it's okay…" she said.

But with every word, doubt clouded her mind more and more.

.........

The next day, Simon walked up the rocks to the "new camp". If anyone knew about the monster, it was the hunters.

"Anyone who wants to come up has to ask!" a littlun said when he reached a few boys.

"Where are the others?" Simon asked.

"They're hunting. What else? Getting their asses kicked by Miss-Sugary-Goodness?"

The boys started to giggle. Simon knew they were trying to get the better of him, but he wasn't going to let them get away with something like that easily.

_They're stupid, Simon…just ask about the cave and walk away…_"Where's the cave you found?"

Simon saw that he had hit a weak point in this particular boy. He started to shake, and was on the verge of tears.

"Don't you know where it is?" he persisted.

"Yeah, but I'm not going back! I already showed Jack and the others."

"Tell me where it is," Simon said, trying to be as polite as possible.

"You shouldn't go there."

"I just wanna look. I've got a GloStick."

The little boy finally pointed to the west. "It's over there in the forest."

Simon nodded his thanks, and walked away from the rocks.

.........

"Put it here," Jack commanded.

The big, black pig was lowered to the ground. Jack got the hunting knife and began to cut off its head.

To distract him from the disgusting sight before him, he began to relive the previous night. He had gotten ahold of the knife. And Ralph couldn't do a thing about it.

He was liking the idea of power more and more.

But…he couldn't forget the look he'd seen on Jessica's face. It was a mixture of horror and betrayal…

Jack shook his head as the pig head came off. They weren't siblings anymore. He didn't have to worry about her.

They mounted the head on a stick that was sharpened at two ends. "It's a gift," Jack explained as they walked away. "For the monster."

Little did he know someone had seen the entire thing.

.........

Jessica sat in the shade of a tree, watching the members of her camp. The littluns were playing with sand, Sam and Eric were flicking each other's ears, and Ralph and Piggy were roasting fruit on a stick.

Nothing to do.

Unless…

"Has anyone seen Simon?" she asked, walking over.

Ralph looked up. "I thought you two weren't speaking."

"We're not. But I'd like to at least make amends with him. I hate not talking to him. I mean, it's okay with me and…Jackass because we're not in the same camp. But…I can't bare to lose another member. You guys are my family now. Each and every one of you. And I'm not about to let another one go over to the Dark Side."

Ralph was speechless. Piggy pointed into the woods. "He went into the woods earlier. He might not be there anymore."

But Jessica was already out of earshot and in the woods.


	22. 18: The Moment of Truth

_Thanks again to everyone who's reading!_

_The moment you guys have all been waiting for has arrived!..._

_Read on to find out what happens..._

.........

"**I should tell you, I should tell you…I love you." - Mimi Marquez, **_**Rent**_

.........

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: THE MOMENT OF TRUTH

Jack and the hunters ran to the small, defenseless camp. Ralph and Piggy stood up to meet their joyous cries.

"All right, Merridew, you made your point!" Ralph said, a bit annoyed. "What do you want?"

"We killed a pig today! There's going to be a feast! You can all come eat with us, if you want to!" He turned to the two boys standing next to him. "Go on! Now!" he whispered.

"The chief has spoken!" they declared.

Jack waited in the silence, almost wanting to hear her voice. But…he didn't see her.

Anywhere.

"Ask where…you-know-who is," Jack whispered to the boys.

"The chief would like to know where Ms. Sugary Goodness is!" they said.

"Who? Stix? She left just a few minutes ago. She went looking for…um…more wood."

_She probably went looking for that bastard Simon_, Jack thought. He didn't say anything more about it.

"See you tonight, girls," he said harshly, walking away.

.........

Simon felt his throat close up as he stared at the pig head. It was so gruesome…he tried to tear himself away. He fought against whatever inside him wanted to keep looking at it.

Flies surrounded the disgusting thing. _It's a lord of the flies._

"Yes, indeed."

Simon turned to see who had spoken, but saw no one.

"You silly child…"

_No…it can't be…_

"That's right," the Lord of the Flies said. "I was the one who spoke." It laughed cruelly. "You really are an ignorant, silly little boy."

Simon swallowed the huge lump in his throat. He had to be hallucinating…

"Oh…I see that this is too much for you. Why, then, don't you go and find someone else to talk to? Maybe…Jessica?"

Simon felt his eyes grow two times in size.

"I know all about her. You love her, don't you? But she broke your heart, and you're still mad about it. Why keep that all bottled up inside? Don't you want to tell her how you feel?" It grinned. "Don't you want to be happy?"

_Jack has to be doing this…he's trying to scare me._

"This isn't Jack," said the Lord of the Flies. "This is me. The thing you're most afraid of."

Simon felt a bit dizzy.

"Yes. I'm the monster. And do you know why? Because you make me out to be. You can make anything you want be the enemy. But did you know that the monster will always be in you?"

Simon shook his head, making himself more woozy.

"I'm always a part of you. I'm part of everyone on this island, everyone in this world." It laughed again. "Doesn't that frighten you?"

"You…pig head…on a stick…" Simon poorly articulated.

"You poor boy. Go on now. Go play with the others and forget all about this. Forget all about me."

_It sounds like Jess…_he thought as he felt his feet begin to give way. He was going to go out again…

"Does the foolish child need nap time?" the Lord of the Flies asked mockingly. "Don't try this with me. No matter where you go, I'll still be there."

Simon felt his eyes close.

"Waiting…"

He felt the forest floor under him.

"I'm always in you…"

He fell into unconsciousness.

.........

Jessica pushed away more strange-looking leaves. She couldn't believe she was actually doing this. But it didn't matter to her anymore.

They weren't going to get rescued. Jack and some of those other cowards had split into their own group. Ralph, Piggy, and those who had decided to stay made no effort to get them back.

She was utterly alone.

No. She wasn't.

That's why she was here in the dense jungle, potentially scarring her arms and legs.

She was going to find Simon.

She knew that when she found him, he would try give her the cold shoulder. But all that thinking that day had brought her to a revelation: no matter how mad he still was, he needed to know she loved him.

She needed to tell him now.

A cry rang out through the air. She turned around, expecting to see Jack and his hunters, but only saw the plants she had just fought through. She breathed a sigh of relief, and turned back around.

She let out a yelp. There, in front of her, was a big, black pig head, sitting on a stake. It was swarmed by flies, all fighting each other to nibble on the rotting flesh.

Jessica instantly knew Jack and the others had been here.

She started to breathe heavily. It was so…morbid. How could Jack--her twin--have done something this…repulsive?

Repulsive didn't seem like the right word. Savage flashed across her mind.

No. She wouldn't let him turn completely away from the Jack she knew. He couldn't do that…

She noticed something laying next to the stake. She looked down and almost keeled over.

Simon.

She kneeled down and started to shake him. "Wake up…" she pleaded. "Please…wake up…"

But he didn't respond.

Jessica became a bit worried. Sure, Simon would faint now and then. But…what if this time, he didn't…?

She quickly found her head on his chest, checking for signs of breathing. She felt a little better when she felt it go up and down, up and down, like a steady rhythm…

Jessica caught herself. She could do this later. First, he had to wake up.

She nudged him again, knowing what the reaction would be.

"Wake up…" she said halfheartedly.

He groaned and rolled over.

She perked up. "Can you hear me?…Simon?" she asked excitedly.

He groaned again.

She let out a sigh. He'd probably be like this for a while.

Her feelings would have to wait.

.........

An hour later, he was still out. Jessica had been sitting by his side, waiting, trying not to get too grossed out by the buzzing flies.

She had been tracing his face with her hand, gently stroking his jaw bone. If her hand wasn't doing that, it was pushing his copper hair back from his forehead, which was dotted with sweat. She couldn't help it; he looked like an angel when he was sleeping…

At first, he winced when her fingers came into contact with his skin, but after a while, he didn't move.

"You're okay," she said when he cringed. "You're safe with me. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."

She began to sing to him. It was quiet, at first, but then it became a bit louder, stronger. She had absently started to push his hair back again, but her hand rested on his cheek and stayed there.

Jessica was lost in her own world now.

Which was why she didn't notice Simon's eyes flutter open.

"Wh…what? Where am I?" He looked at her. "What are you doing?"

Her face grew scarlet red as she pulled her hand away. "Oh. I'm…sorry…I was just…"

He sat up. "How long have I been out?"

"I don't know…an hour?"

"That's…longer than usual. But…you stayed here with me? The whole time?"

She nodded.

"And is the pig head…?"

She nodded again. Grimly.

"You've been here…this whole time?"

"Um…yeah," she said. "Is…that so wrong to do so?"

Simon's brow furrowed. "Truthfully…I don't know…"

She met his eyes. "Look. If you don't like me because of…school, then, it's fine. But it's pretty obvious that we're not going to be rescued soon. And I don't know how much longer I can take on this island. So I'm going to say this now, no matter how weird it may seem or what your reaction is. The truth is, Simon…I love you. I've been in love with you ever since that first day of school. But because of the way I was…I tried to tell myself otherwise. But my feelings were too strong, and I kept hiding from them. Until now."

She stopped, bracing herself for whatever was coming next. Whatever it was…it couldn't be worse than this.

"That's…funny…" Simon said, his eyebrows still in their frowning position. "Because…I've been wanting to tell you that I've been in love with you since the first day of school."

She loosened a bit. Was he really saying this?

"I mean…I could tell by they way you talked that you were…not my type…but, there was something about you that made my heart go bonkers. That first time we made eye contact?" He blinked a couple times, emphasizing his shock. "It was amazing."

"Yeah. I felt something strong when I looked in your eyes…" She found herself lost again, her hand finding its way to his face. "Your gorgeous, turquoise eyes…"

She felt his face grown warm under her fingers. She reluctantly lowered her arm, not wanting to embarrass him, but she was surprised to find his own hand putting hers back onto his face.

"I don't mind. It's okay." He smiled. "You've been watching over me when I've had all my incidents, haven't you?"

She nodded.

"Thanks. I mean…no one's ever done that before."

She smiled sheepishly. "Probably should have told you sooner, huh?"

He shook his head. "I think finding out now is fine. Now that I know for sure…it won't feel so awkward…doing this…"

He leaned in, and the next things she knew, Jessica was being kissed by her angel with the turquoise eyes.


	23. 19: My Poor, Poor Simon

_Sorry if this is a little depressing...but, you kinda saw it coming..._

_P.S. Some dialogue I got from "Aida"...and I don't own that..._

.........

"**I'd rather die tomorrow than live a hundred years without ever knowing you." - John Smith, "Pocahontas"**

.........

CHAPTER NINETEEN: MY POOR, POOR SIMON

"You don't like black licorice?"

"Ick!" Jessica scrunched up her face. "That stuff is nasty."

Simon laughed. She was so cute when she was in disgust. "You really don't like it?"

"Red is so much better. Black is just…gross."

"You know that's the flavoring in root beer, right?"

She gave him a skeptical look. "You can't be serious."

"Try me."

She started laughing. "Now I'm going to throw up every time I see that stuff. Thanks."

Simon smiled. He must have been dreaming. Here he was, in the middle of the forest, on a deserted island, sitting with the girl he was in love with.

With his track record, it had to be a dream.

But, strangely enough, it was turning out not to be.

"You ever been to Canada?" she asked casually.

"No."

"You should go there sometime. It's nice there. Especially on the Mira. The people are the kindest you'll meet…and it's like we're all part of the same family…and they never judge…ever…"

"Sounds like that place I was talking about…you know, back in the science room…"

"Oh, God…" She giggled. "Jack screwed up so bad…"

"No shit."

She frowned. "Did…you just swear?"

"I…guess I did," he said, realizing it. "Whoa…"

"It's no big deal. But…once you start, you can't really stop, you know? It just sort of…sticks to you." She shook her head. "I wish I could stop. But…that stupid…_brother_"--she choked on the word--"of mine makes me so mad…and I only swear under pressure or when I'm super mad."

"Then you must be like that all the time now."

"Yep."

There was a silence before she spoke up.

"Simon? I know this may be personal…but…why do you…faint?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. My parents have taken me to countless doctors…they can't really explain it. I start to shake…and get dizzy…and I pass out. They say that sometimes I twitch…I even thrash out…and when I wake up, I can't remember a thing."

"Oh. Well, maybe someday they'll have a cure for it."

"I hope so."

He took her hand, and they stood up. Once again, they came face-to-face with the pig head.

"What…what's it supposed to mean?" she asked.

"It's a gift…for…the monster…"

They looked at the cave, and then at each other.

It was time to find out.

.........

Ralph and Piggy stood outside a ring of boys who all held war spears. Pig meat was roasting on the fire.

Jack tried not to show his happiness. He knew they'd come. Now they could see how great his tribe was doing.

And he could rub it in their faces.

"Take them some meat," he said to one hunter. The boy immediately scurried over and put a piece of meat into their hands.

"I promised I'd get meat!" Jack declared. "Didn't I, Ralph? I want you to tell the littluns that I made you a promise and I kept it. Say it!"

"You kept your promise, but you don't keep the fire watch!" Ralph shot back. "You think one lousy meal's worth not getting rescued?! We've gotta be one group again!"

"I agree!" Jack said, meaning it and not really meaning it. "You can join my camp and have all the meat you want!"

"We don't want your meat!"

"Then why'd you come?"

"We came here to try and talk sense to you!"

"That's J--" Jack stopped. He couldn't bring himself to say her name. "That's not your job to do!"

"Knock it off, Jack! Jessica's on our side, so you might as well get over it! She's scared of you!"

_What? She…never said that before…_

Was it true? His own sister…afraid? Of _him_?

"You don't have the conch!" a littlun said. "And you don't have Miss Sugary Goodness, either! Doesn't matter what you say!"

"The conch is in our camp, where it belongs!" Piggy said.

Jack quickly concealed his horror. "What's the matter, kids? Afraid to bring it with you? Afraid to show up with a girl? Anyway, the conch doesn't count anymore, Miss Piggy!"

"Stop it!" Ralph said.

"No one's interested in you or your f*ckin' conch! And about…about my sister…"

Gasps were heard.

"She doesn't know what to think. She's always been an airhead. But she'll see reason. I know she will. Once I get her away from you bastards! So why don't you shove off?!"

Thunder roared overhead. It was time for something he'd been waiting for all day.

"Come on, hunters…Roger's the pig!"

.........

"Are you sure this is safe?" Jessica asked nervously. "And…where did you get that?"

She and Simon stood at the mouth of the cave, a GloStick in his hand.

"It's Ralph's. He brought it with. And…there is no monster." He still held her hand. "It's okay. You're safe with me."

They smiled at each other in the fluorescent glow of the green stick. Then they ventured further.

Jessica saw a lump in the middle of the cave. Simon turned it over.

"Oh, my God!"

Captain Benson lay dead, his mouth hanging open.

"He's…dead…" Simon said.

"Which means…he's what those losers were afraid of! There really is no monster!"

Simon looked at her. "We've gotta tell them!" He bolted from the cave.

"Wait, what?" She ran out of the cave, pulling him back to the clearing. "Simon…no."

"Why not? We can tell them there's nothing to be scared of anymore."

"But…I'm…not ready. Jack…and I…we're not…"

She felt his index finger on her lips. He held the GloStick up to their faces so she could see him. Her heart went faster and faster as she continued to stare into his eyes.

"Jess…you're okay. Your brother may be…crazy…but it'll be fine."

"How do you know?"

He leaned in and kissed her. "I just know," he said, pulling away.

She blinked. "I don't know…" She hugged him. "Why do things have to be so…screwy?"

She felt his arms go around her. "I guess life gets like this sometime." They let go, and faced each other again. "Like I said, it'll be fine."

She gave him a sad smile, and caught him off-guard when she kissed him. "Let's go," she said, grabbing his hand.

.........

Ralph couldn't believe what was happening. Jack and the hunters…they were sick in the head. They were pretending to kill each other, and it was…barbaric.

He was glad Jessica wasn't here to see this.

"IT'S THE MOSNTER!!!!!"

Ralph turned to see a green light coming up the beach. That looked like his GloStick…

"IT'S GOT JESSICA!!!!!"

Whoever had the GloStick had Jessica by the wrist. He couldn't tell, but it looked like Jessica was…worried.

"LET'S GET HIM!!!!!!!!!"

The hunters ran up the beach and began to stab whatever.

Ralph could only stand stock still.

.........

"Stop it! Please! Just..."

Jessica fell back as she felt someone's elbow knock her backwards. She got up hurriedly, trying to push her way to the front of the group of savage boys.

"What the hell are you idiots doing?! JUST STOP IT!!! THAT'S SIMON!!!!!!!"

Just saying his name made her heart leap. She knew she had to save him.

She was his only hope.

"KNOCK IT OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The boys seemed to hear her. They turned to see who had spoken, and then wore shame on their faces. They parted like the Red Sea, allowing her to pass through. As she made her way to the front, she saw Ralph and Piggy sneak off. Bastards.

Then she saw her brother, Jack. For a moment, he looked shocked. She glared at him, and continued on her way.

At last, she reached the front. She gasped and fell to her knees. There, laying on the beach, was Simon. His skin was red from where they had cut and bit him, and already his hair was soaked from the sea. He lay, lifeless.

She gave a shuddering sob as she knelt by him. Could this really be the boy she was in love with? Only two hours ago, they had admitted their feelings for each other, and he had seemed so full of life. And now...he was dead.

He coughed. Jessica jumped out of her thoughts. "Simon? Honey...can you hear me?"

He moaned.

"Simon...?"

He opened his eyes and tried to lift his head. She gently pushed it back down.

"No...just...stay calm..." She felt warm tears start to run down her face. "Just..."

He looked at her, his eyes pleading. "........J...Jess..."

"Yeah?" she asked, still crying.

"J…Jess…"

"Shh…don't talk…please…"

With his last physical strength, he took her hand in his. "There's…an…other…world…I've been…there…through…my…incidents…" he gasped, breathing heavily. He squeezed his eyes shut, writhing in pain, the breathing a great burden for him.

"Simon…please…" She smoothed his hair back for the hundredth--and the last--time that day.

Despite his obvious pain, he continued. "Listen…there is…an…other…world…waiting…for…me…"

"You mean heaven?"

"Maybe…"

Jessica was listening now. "And even there…will you find me? Even if I'm here and you're…there?"

Simon's breathing slowed, but it was still heavy. "If I…have to search…a hundred lifetimes…Jess…I'll find you again…"

And then, just like that, he stopped breathing. His head fell to the side, and his hand became limp.

He was gone.

Jessica knew it was hopeless to try and talk to him. She continued to hold the lifeless hand, crying harder and harder.

She turned to the boys, who were still staring. "This...is your fault..." she said darkly.

"Jessi..." Jack started.

"I don't want to hear excuses, you son of a bitch," she snapped. "No one...and I mean NO ONE...not one of you little assholes...come near me. If you do...you'll be sorry."

She gathered Simon into her arms, and struggled her way up the beach.

This boy deserved a proper burial.


	24. 20: Much Ado About Nothing

_Sorry if it's a little short..._

.........

"**And now whatever way our stories end…I know you have rewritten mine by being my friend." - Elphaba Thropp, **_**Wicked**_

.........

CHAPTER TWENTY: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING 

It took the rest of the night to dig a hole. She had tied a long stick to a slab of rock, and began to dig by the dead signal fire.

Once she had a big enough hole, she carved a gravestone that read SIMON: A FRIEND…WHO WAS NEVER AFRAID.

She stuck it at the head of the hole. Now for the difficult part.

She almost choked to death as she gathered him in her arms. Flies had started to buzz around him, but she got them away whenever they tried to eat him.

Before she laid him in the hole, she couldn't bear to leave him without saying goodbye properly. She planted a kiss on the right side of his face and put him in.

As the morning wore on, she covered him completely. When she was done, she cried and cried, her poor heart in pieces.

And then she fell asleep.

.........

Ralph hugged his knees as Piggy played with the sand. This couldn't be happening…

"What are we gonna do?" he asked through his tears. "Piggy…that was Simon. And…Stix, too."

Her horrified face was etched in his mind forever. He hadn't known she'd loved him that much.

"There's no use talking about it," Piggy said simply. "It was dark. We were scared."

"I wasn't scared."

"You _were_ scared. Anything could have happened." He paused. "It wasn't our fault."

"But that's the thing. It _was_. We were there, and we didn't do anything about it."

"There was nothing we could do. There were too many of them."

Ralph sighed. "That's not the point. Jessica was there, and she at least tried. And what happens? He gets killed…" He shook his head. "God, I feel so stupid!"

"It was an accident," Piggy said. "That's what it was. A terrible accident."

Ralph got up. "Come on, Piggy."

"Where are we going?"

Ralph started walking down the beach. "We're finding Jessica."

.........

They found her sleeping by a mound of dirt with a stone at the head.

"She buried him," Piggy observed.

Ralph felt his tears come up all over again. "She can't stay here," he finally said. "They'll find her. And they'll…" He couldn't bring himself to say what he thought.

Piggy stared at the grave. "This is where she buried him? Up here?"

"I suppose they don't come here anymore. Besides…it's a peaceful place. He'll be happy here."

"Yeah…"

Ralph gathered his strength and took Jessica in his arms. "Come on, Piggy. Let's head back."

They were halfway down the hill when she half-woke up. "Simon…?"

"Shh…Stix, it's Ralph and Piggy."

"Oh…Ralph?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm…sorry…"

"Shh…it's okay, Stix…you're safe with us now."

.........

Back on the hillside, a white light appeared by Simon's grave. After it had subsided, a boy in white stood in its place. He brought his hand up to the right side of his face and tentatively smiled.

Even when he was gone…she still loved him.


	25. 21: HardKnock Life

"**What I once used to dream I now dread…if he finds me, it won't ever end…" - Christine Daae, **_**Phantom of the Opera**_

.........

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: HARD-KNOCK LIFE

Jack was still in denial. He'd just killed Simon the previous night. A living, human being.

She'd never forgive him now.

He didn't know why he was so worried about it. He hunted things all the time. It was no different.

Who was he trying to kid? It was completely different. And now Jessica would never talk to him again.

If Ralph hadn't been right before…he was right now. This time, Jack had really f*cked up.

The worst part was that now there was no fire. It had gone out the previous night because of the rain. The boys were getting restless.

He had to fix it.

"I'll get fire, I promise you," he told them. "Tomorrow, we'll hunt again. But we have to be careful, because the monster could come any time."

If he wanted the boys to stay with him, he needed them to have fear. Fear of the monster.

"But didn't we--" Sam began.

"I thought we--" Eric said.

"No!" he said harshly. He cleared his throat. "I mean…no, we didn't. It could come any time, in any shape. Just when we're not ready. It could be there. Waiting."

.........

"Maybe we should just build a raft and row off," Piggy suggested as twilight was settling in.

"Yeah. And then I can go jump off a cliff and die on sharp rocks," Jessica said, sitting on a fallen tree.

"I will if you will," Ralph said from beside her. "Anything's better than here."

"But we don't know what's out there," Piggy said, sitting with them.

"I'll bet you out beyond the reef, there are lots of boats that come by every day. And one could rescue us."

"Maybe I don't wanna be rescued," Jessica said bitterly. "Maybe I don't wanna do anything anymore."

Ralph started to worry. "Stix…"

"Maybe I really should jump off a cliff. It'll be better than living…without…"

She started to cry. Ralph awkwardly put his arm around her.

This was supposed to be Jack's job. He was her brother. He needed to comfort her.

But…he was the one who had killed Simon.

"Stix…we all miss him…but if you think about it…Simon wouldn't want you to kill yourself just because he's dead. He'd want you to live out your life and be happy."

"What do you know?"

"I know Simon," Piggy piped up. "And Ralph's right. He was the type of person who wanted everyone to be happy. And…I know if he were here right now, he'd hate seeing you so miserable."

"I can't take this anymore," Jessica said suddenly. "We need to make a raft right now and row to the reef. Then we'll see a ship and we'll get rescued and we'll leave all those S.O.B.s behind."

"Supposing a ship did," Piggy said. "What if it was Russian? Then what? We'd be taken prisoner."

"The Russians wouldn't take us prisoner," Ralph said. "And stop scaring her. She's…"

"I'm not a baby," Jessica said. "And I agree with Ralph. Come on, Piggy. The _Russians_?"

"I don't know," Piggy admitted. "Major Dingledine, the guy my aunty's dating--"

"Major _Dingledine_?" Ralph and Jessica asked incredulously.

"Yeah. He said that if the Russians were to invade the U.S., they would take the kids, and separate us from our parents…and I know it sounds weird…but then they would make us go into the Olympics or something."

Ralph started to laugh. The Olympics? That was ridiculous.

He noticed that Jessica had started to giggle a bit. This made him laugh even more. It was good for her to laugh like this.

"I don't see what's so funny," Piggy said sulkily.

"Piggy…I don't think you have to worry about the Russians forcing you into the Olympics."

"Yeah…come on…that is a bit ridiculous…"

All three started to laugh.

"Hey…what's that?"

Ralph and Piggy went into the ocean and pulled out something broken. When they sat back down on the log, it turned out to be a smashed-up accordion.

Ralph pretended to play it, singing horribly. _**The sun will come out tomorrow…bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow…there'll be sun…**_

"Where do you think it comes from?" Piggy wondered.

"A Russian submarine," Ralph said in mock terror. "Full of Olympic athletes."

.........

"Jessica?"

Jessica sat up to face a whimpering Piggy. "Someone's out there," he said.

"Come outside, Piggy," someone called.

Jessica groaned.

She knew who it was.

"Ralph!" Piggy said, shaking him. "Ralph!"

"What is it?" he said, a bit annoyed.

"My jackass brother's outside," Jessica said flatly. "What else?"

The shelter--for the third time in a week and a half--crashed down on them. The hunters ran away, carrying something that glinted in the moonlight.

Jessica froze when she looked at Piggy.

She knew what they'd taken.

.........

The next day, Jessica sat with Piggy as he cried. He'd been like this all morning, and she knew how it felt. Ralph gave them coconut shells filled with water.

"We did everything just the way grown-ups would've," Piggy said through his tears. "What went wrong? Why didn't it work?"

"You know very well why," Jessica said, her voice rife with hatred.

"Things would be much better if it wasn't for him," Piggy said. "I wish he was dead."

Jessica glared at him. When it came to bad-mouthing her brother, only she could say stuff like that. But if someone else did…well, they had crossed a very dangerous line and were asking for it.

"No, you don't," Ralph quickly said, seeming to notice the sudden tension.

"I do!" He was silent for a moment. "We could just give up and join his tribe. Then we'd at least be with the others."

"No way in hell am I joining Jackass's tribe." Jessica folded her arms. "I've already tried to help him. And his behavior clearly tells me he is beyond any help."

"Don't talk like that," Ralph said, upset.

"Ralph…I can't _see_!" Piggy wailed.

"I know, Piggy…" Ralph looked into his coconut shell. "I know."


	26. 22: The Fall of Order

"**He kills without a thought...he murders all that's good…I know I can't refuse…and, yet, I wish I could…" - Christine Daae, **_**Phantom of the Opera**_

.........

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: THE FALL OF ORDER

Ralph, Jessica and Piggy went to the other camp later that day. They were going to get Piggy's glasses back.

"Halt! Who goes there?" the boy named Roger called.

"Don't be stupid!" Ralph said angrily. "You know who we are! We've brought the conch, and I'm calling an assembly!"

"Look! She's back!" someone exclaimed.

The boys made a circle around Jessica, cheering. "She came back! She came back!" they chanted excitedly.

"Hunters! Halt!" came Jack's voice.

The ring opened, and Jack walked through. Ralph tried not to look horrified. He looked worse than he had two nights ago.

"Jessica Allison Merridew," Jack said. "We are all honored to be in your presence." They kneeled, bowing their heads.

"Okay, here's the deal," Jessica said, clearly not interested. "I know what you're trying to do. And it's not working. We may be blood-related, but I'm not joining your tribe!"

She walked back over to Ralph and Piggy, Ralph mentally sighing in relief. "I'm with them."

Ralph tried not to smile at Jack's shocked face. "What do you want?!" Jack spat.

"You heard me! We've brought the conch, and I'm calling an assembly!"

"Why don't you two just f*ck off and leave Jessi alone?! She's _my_ sister, this is _my _end of the island, and this is _my_ tribe! Keep to your own end!"

"You're the one not keeping to his own end! You destroyed our camp and stole Piggy's glasses! You gotta give them back! It's the least you could do! You took Simon away from Stix, but you can't give him back!"

He hadn't wanted to say that, but it had slipped out. He cringed as Jack's face exploded with anger.

"Got to?! Who says?!" Jack shouted, coming down from the rocks.

"I do! Piggy can't see! If you wanted a fire, all you had to do was ask!"

"I don't have to ask!" He thrust his spear at Ralph.

Ralph blocked it with his walking stick, and a fight ensued. Ralph tried to ward off the blows coming from Jack's spear as best he could, but his stick was knocked out of his hands. With no defense left, Ralph threw himself on Jack, and the two started wrestling each other brutally.

"Kick his ass!" the hunters said. "Come on, Jack, kick his ass!"

"Stop it, please!" Jessica cried. "God, just knock it off!"

The sound of the conch silenced everyone. Ralph got up and saw Piggy blowing into it.

"I've got the conch!" he said. "Let me speak!"

The hunters started to laugh meanly. Some started throwing rocks. Ralph now knew how Jessica felt when she wanted to beat up her brother.

"Stop that!" Ralph said. "Let Piggy speak!"

Nothing changed.

"EVERYBODY STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The boys all turned to see Jessica breathing heavily. "Let him speak, you dumb asses!"

The boys obeyed.

"What I want to say is," Piggy said with authority, "if we don't get rescued, we might have to live here for a long time! Maybe the rest of our lives!"

The boys looked at each other. Ralph had never considered that.

He saw a flicker of movement up higher. He thought he saw Roger stand by a boulder…

"Piggy's absolutely right," Jessica said, gently taking the conch from Piggy. "If we're stuck here, it's no use acting like kids! Hasn't it gotten into your heads what kind of damage we can cause?"

"We've gotta be sensible and make things work!" Piggy said.

Things started to move in slow motion. Ralph saw Roger shove the boulder…and the boulder hurtle down the cliff.

Right at Jessica and Piggy.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Ralph shot out of the way as he saw Jack come toward him. Jack made a daring jump, taking Jessica with him.

There was a sickening thud, and all was quiet.

Ralph walked forward slowly, looking at Piggy. He lay still, his eyes wide with shock, blood all over his face. He wasn't moving.

Ralph looked behind him. Jessica was shoving her brother off, and let out a gasp.

"P…Piggy?"

Ralph felt numb. He couldn't move.

He heard another thud. He made himself turn to see Jack doubling over as Jessica glared at him, putting her foot down. "You…you f*cking bastards…" she said.

Jack hobbled back to his tribe. Nobody said a word.

"You won't get away with this…" Ralph heard himself say.

"No shit they won't!" Jessica said, stomping towards the boys. "DAMN YOU! ALL OF YOU! YOU'RE ALL GOING TO HELL, YOU HEAR?! WHY CAN'T YOU LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE?!"

She started to cry as she looked right at her brother. "I hate you!" she cried, and took off.

No one stopped her.

"What are you gonna do?" Jack asked Ralph, alarm in his voice. "You're out of it, pal. You've screwed up my sister so much…you're on your own now." He picked up a rock and threw it at him.

"Go on now! Go! And take your fat ass friend with you!"

.........

Ralph sat on the hillside a few hours later. Now there were two graves, side by side, staring at him.

"What am I gonna do?"


	27. 23: A Discovery Is Made

_Hey! I know the last couple chapters have been depressing...but it's a depressing story..._

_The sign at the end of the chapter...I made that up. I was writing a reminder to myself on my hand one day, and the ink got smudged...and one of the "o"s looked something like the sign..._

_........._

"**You're alone in the universe, too…" - Horton the Elephant, **_**Seussical **_

.........

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: A DISCOVERY IS MADE

Jessica sat up. She had fallen asleep in a clearing…she wondered how long she had been out…

Then she remembered.

Piggy was dead.

And it was all her brother's fault.

It was times like these she wished her father was still alive. He'd know what to do. He always kept them in line when they didn't do something right.

"Dad…I wish you were here…" she said, crying. "I need help…"

_**Wandering child…so lost, so helpless…yearning for my guidance…**_

She frowned. Was that her father?

"Dad?"

No one answered.

"Dad?"

"No one's here," someone said. "No one except me."

Jessica turned and saw the Lord of the Flies. She screamed.

"That's right," the Lord of the Flies said. "You need my help, don't you?"

Jessica didn't know what was happening. She kept still.

"Oh, I know you do. You need help from your Angel of Music."

Jessica gulped. Angel of Music…that's what she used to call Jack. How had it known that?

How was it even talking?

"You're a dead pig on a stick," she said. "I'm just going crazy, is all."

"You need your Angel of Music," the Lord of the Flies continued. "But the funny thing is that I'm him."

Jessica stared at it. "No…"

"Oh, yes. I am. Because I'm in your brother."

Jessica shook her head.

"Don't deny it. I'm really the monster. I'm in you, and I'm in everyone. You need my guidance, and I'm here to offer it."

"No…no, I'm not listening to you…"

"You must. Or otherwise, all hope is gone. Your brother will become the Angel of Death and kill you!" It started to laugh.

"No…he wouldn't!"

"Oh, but he would! He killed your friends! Why wouldn't he kill you, too?" It continued to laugh.

"No…stop…please stop!" she said.

The laughter continued. She tried to run away, but couldn't.

"Jessica…" a voice whispered. "Wake up."

.........

She sat up.

Jessica realized that it had all been a dream. She looked up. The pig head was still there, buzzing flies worshiping it. She waited for a few seconds, but finally realized it wouldn't talk to her.

The voice...the one that had woken her up...it had sounded like...

She looked at the sky. It was dark now. She had nowhere to go. She had no one to go to.

No one…

She got up and ran.

She needed to find Ralph.

.........

Ralph snuck to the other camp. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Sam and Eric were on guard. They were better than Roger.

Or Jack.

"Sam! Eric!" he whispered.

They turned with a start.

"It's me! Ralph!"

"Do you have--"

"--Jessica with you?"

"No."

"Then you shouldn't be--

"--around here, Ralph--"

"--they'll catch you--"

"--and you'll be in trouble--"

"--we're hunting you tomorrow--"

"--and Roger sharpened--"

"--a stick--"

"--at both ends."

A wispy sound filled the air. It sounded like someone had sharply taken in breath.

"If that happens," Ralph said, getting scared, "then it will be because you let it happen. If you don't stand up to him, you're just another one of his slaves."

"Even Jessica?"

"Even Jessica."

"But she--"

"--yells at him--"

"--all the time."

"That's just her way of hiding her fear. She doesn't tell him how she really feels. When she does that, then I'll say she's not one of you."

"Keep alert down there!" Roger yelled. "Remember, we're hunting him at sunrise!"

.........

Ralph snuck into the forest to find a spot to sleep. Going back to camp was way too obvious now.

He stumbled upon a drawing in the dirt. It was of a perfect circle:

O

On the top of the circle was a little arrow:

A

On the bottom of the circle were two parallel lines:

ll

He was about to walk over it when he read the description under the circle. And after he did, he ran away. He couldn't let anyone get the better of him now.

But still…the words would stick in his head for the rest of the night:

ALL HOPE IS LOST.


	28. 24: An Intervention

_If it's a bit rushed, I'm sorry...I'm kinda tired, and I'm watching "Grease" (the good one, with John Travolta and Olivia-Newton John...not the second one with Michelle Pfiffer...and, yes, I know I spelled that wrong...)._

_Oh, and yeah...it's cheesy, cause I borrowed some concepts from "Pocahontas"..._

.........

"**I may be small, but I've got a big brain!" - Jimmy Neutron, **_**Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius **_

.........

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: AN INTERVENTION

Jack watched the sleeping boys surrounding him. They were out like lights.

Luckies.

He couldn't sleep with all that was on his mind: Simon, Piggy, Jessica.

And that damn Ralph.

He boiled with anger. Ralph was the reason Jessica hated him now. Ralph had changed her.

Her words still rang fresh in his ears.

As he felt his eyes droop, he sneered with delight. It was good he was hunting Ralph tomorrow.

He'd finally put the monster in his place.

.........

"They're hunting him at sunrise," Jessica said sadly.

She sat before Simon and Piggy's graves, silence answering her. She had been up all night, worrying about the whole thing.

Why had she said what she'd said? And done what she'd done? It would have been easier if she'd just not said or done anything. She should have joined Jack's tribe and stuck to his side at all times. If that had happened, Piggy and Simon wouldn't be dead. Ralph wouldn't be in mortal danger.

Simon still wouldn't know how she felt…

She shook her head. Lamenting over the past wasn't helping anything. She had to figure out something to do, or otherwise Ralph…

Ralph. He was right about her. Even if she wasn't with Jack, she was still fearful of him. She was feeding into his game, and she wasn't trying to stop him.

The dream she had the first night on the island came into her mind. She puzzled over what it could mean.

The fire…that was what would happen tomorrow. They were going to set the land on fire, burn the trees so they could scope him out easier.

Piggy and Simon…they were dead, watching over the scene as ghosts.

Jack…he was the person he was now, hunting Ralph.

Ralph…he was trapped and alone, trying hard to escape the hell he was in.

Herself…too afraid to do anything, too scared to stand up for what was right.

And the pig head…

…would soon be Ralph.

"'Sharpen a stick at both ends'…Oh, my God…"

She started breathing heavily. They weren't just hunting Ralph.

They were going to kill him.

She knew it was a bit drastic to draw what she had in the dirt, but now that she thought about it, it seemed to fit.

She could only hope Ralph hadn't seen it…

"You'd know what to do," she said, addressing her dead friends. She began to cry for the five hundredth time that night.

"Stop them."

She looked up and jumped. A glowing figure of Piggy--with his glasses--stood before her.

"I have to stop eating that lizard meat…"

"Jessica, you have to stop them," the-ghost-that-looked-like-Piggy said.

"You're not real. I'm crazy and I don't know what the hell I'm thinking. So…stop bothering me."

"Don't be ignorant, Jessica! Ralph's in trouble! You have to help him!"

"I can't. I can't do anything! I'm a stupid little girl who can't fend for herself!"

"But…what about the dream you had? Hasn't that told you anything? I may be dead, Jessica, but I'm no longer blind." He pointed a ghostly finger to his specs.

"It's just a dream, whoever you are. It's not real. It never was. I can't do anything right. Ever. So I need to stop intervening and let whatever happens happen."

A white light appeared, and in its place was something that made Jessica almost fall over backwards.

"Simon?"

The ghost nodded, a serious expression on his face. "Jess…what are you doing?"

Seeing him--or, something that looked like him--made her think. What _was _she doing?"

"I'm…giving up."

"Simon, I tried to talk sense into her," Piggy insisted. "But she just doesn't listen to me. Maybe she'll listen to you."

"Jess…you've come this far…and you're throwing it all away? You're going to let your brother become a savage? You're going to let Ralph die?"

That was exactly what she was doing.

"I don't want that to happen. It's just…I don't know what to do! Things are too confusing! You two are dead, Ralph's nowhere, and Jack's…I don't even want to talk about him right now!"

"Calm down, Jess." He laid a transparent hand on her shoulder. "I know you. You're a strong person."

"If I'm so strong, then why did I let you go?"

"It wasn't your fault. You tried. And that's all I could ask for."

He kissed her on the cheek. It felt cold, sending shivers down her spine.

"Piggy and I have faith in you. You have to be strong."

Jessica realized he was right. "You're right. I can't let Ralph or Jack go down the wrong path. I've gotta do something."

Piggy handed her the conch. "Here. Put your ear to the hole."

She did and frowned. "Aren't I supposed to hear the ocean?"

"It'll tell you where Ralph is," Piggy explained.

Jessica listened carefully. She heard the buzzing of flies.

"All I hear is a bunch of bugs." She looked inside. "Did you trap flies or something?"

They looked at her.

"Oh," she said, understanding. "Oh, my God! The pig head!"

The sun poked its rays over the horizon. "It can't be sunrise already!"

"It's not too late," Simon said. "Let Piggy and I guide you, and you'll be fine."

The grass before her made a swooshing sound in the wind, and it flattened out, showing her the way.

"You know your path," Piggy said bravely. "Now all you have to do is follow it."


	29. Savages

_Hey! Another random song...I don't own it, and may have changed some lyrics a bit..._

_Also note how ironic the song is...and who's singing it..._

_Just thought I'd lighten the mood. You know...it's been kinda gloomy and stuff..._

_Enjoy!_

.........

**"Savages" (Part Two)**

**JESSICA**

Is there nothing I can do?

Can this really mean the end?

Is it only death that waits

Just around the future's bend?

**JACK**

This will be the day!

**ROGER**

This will be the morning!

**HUNTERS**

We will see him dying in the dust!

**JESSICA**

I don't know what I can do,

Still, I know I've got to try

**HUNTERS**

Now we make him pay!

**JESSICA**

Piggy, help my feet to fly!

**HUNTERS**

Now without a warning!

**JESSICA**

Simon, help my heart be great!

**HUNTERS**

Now we leave him: blood and bone and rust

**JESSICA**

God of water, earth and sky...

**HUNTERS**

It's him or us...

**JESSICA**

Please don't let it be too late...!

**HUNTERS**

They're just a bunch of filthy, stinking

Savages! Savages!

Demons! Devils!

**JACK**

Kill him!

**HUNTERS**

Savages! Savages!

What are we waiting for?

Destroy their evil race

Until there's not a trace left...

**JESSICA**

How loud are the drums of war?

**HUNTERS**

We will sound the drums of war

(Savages! Savages!)

Now we sound the drums of war

(Savages! Savages!)

Now we see what comes

of trying to be chums

(Now we sound the drums...of...)

Of course it means the drums...of...

**JESSICA**

Is this the death of all I love,

Carried through the drums of war?

**HUNTERS**

War!


	30. 25: The Hunt Begins

"**Before it's too late…just walk away…" - Gabriella Montez, **_**High School Musical 3: Senior Year**_

.........

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: THE HUNT BEGINS

The air was still. It was as if the island was holding its breath, anticipating the day's events.

Ralph awoke, finding himself in a shrub. He stood up, a bit shaky.

Today was it.

Either he won or he lost the game.

And as of right now…it was imminent that he was going to lose.

He heard footsteps behind him. Which could only mean one thing.

He took off running.

.........

"If you see him, remember the call we went over," Jack whispered to the hunters. "Check anywhere and everywhere. Burn every square inch of the island, if you have to. We will find the both of them and they will be sorry."

.........

Jessica raced through the forest. Fire surrounded her.

But this time she was not afraid.

_Gotta get to that pig…gotta find Ralph…_

.........

They were hot on his trail. He could feel it. But he had to be faster than them.

At times, he was so focused on running, he forgot what he was doing.

But when he felt his heart pounding in his chest, he remembered.

And ran even faster.

.........

Jack didn't understand why Ralph wouldn't give up. He had nothing left to fight for. His tribe was gone, his friends were dead or turned to the other side…and Jessica would soon hate him.

He heard footsteps ahead. He picked up speed.

.........

_Where the heck is that stupid pig head? I know it's here somewhere…_

Jessica was getting frustrated. But she had to keep going.

She stopped short before a wall of leaves. Someone was behind them…

_Oh, no…_

The people she had lost on the island--Simon, Piggy, Jack--flashed before her eyes. And so did the pig head and Ralph.

.........

Ralph was still running. He was getting tired, but he kept running. If he stopped, they'd get him for sure.

He came upon a horrid sight suddenly: a pig head on a stick.

He stared at it and finally got it.

This would be him if they caught him.

"NOOOOOO!!!!!"

He turned and saw someone come through the leaves. His life flashed before his eyes as whoever came through landed on him.

This was the end.


	31. 26: A Metamorphosis

_Hi! OMG the website's working again! Yay! (P.S. I've changed itty-bitty things in previous chapters...if you guys catch them, then props to you for having eyes like a hawk...)_

_Anyway, I hope this isn't rushing anything! I'm SOOOOOO close to being done with this, and I tend to get excited and rush things when I come to the end of something..._

_Enjoy!_

.........

"**I'm sorry for everything I've said…and for anything I forgot to say, too…when things get so complicated…I stumble at best, muddle through…" - Radames, _Aida_**

.........

CHAPTER TWENT-SIX: A METAMORPHOSIS

Ralph prepared himself for the bloody blow, but it never came. He opened his eyes and practically had a heart attack.

"Jessica?"

She scrambled off of him. "Ralph?" She threw himself on him again. "Oh, God, Ralph!"

"What are you doing here? You can't be near me! I'll just put you in danger."

"Ralph, no," she said. "I need to be with you. Weren't you the one who said we need to stick together?"

Ralph sighed. "Me and my big mouth."

"Well, you were right! About everything!"

"What? Since when--"

Footsteps drew closer and closer.

"We gotta run," Ralph said, backing away.

"Ralph, what--"

"We gotta run!" he said louder, grabbing her arm and dragging her across the forest.

"GET THEM!!!!!!!"

Ralph could physically feel the hunters behind him, running to keep up. And he knew they were trying harder now that Jessica had come into their line of sight.

At times, Ralph thought he felt Jessica try to loosen his grip on her arm. He figured that she must have thought her brother was among those chasing them. Which made him grip her arm to the point of circulation loss.

They finally outran the group of hunters and collapsed in the familiar clearing where the Lord of the Flies still reigned.

"Ralph," Jessica panted between breaths, "as I said before…you're right…"

"About what?"

"If you haven't guessed…I went to find you last night. And the first place I looked was…well…the camp. You couldn't see me, cause I was at the top of the cliff. And I heard everything you and Sam and Eric said."

Ralph cringed, embarrassed. "You mean…even…"

"Yes, even that. But…you're spot on."

"Stix, I'm sorry I said that, I really didn't--"

"Don't be sorry. It's the truth. That's all I ever do. I never tell Jack how I really feel. I just let out my emotions by swearing and trying to blow myself up. But the thing is…I just end up looking stupid."

"I don't think you do. At least he listens to you."

"Not really. Like you said, he feeds off of my reactions. He thrives off of my fear. And I make no move to end that." She was silent for a moment. Ralph guessed that she was contemplating things.

"Stix?"

"Ralph, do you think you can hide yourself well enough for a few minutes?"

He cocked his head to the side, confused. "Um…why?"

"Can you do it?"

"I'll…I'll try…"

"Just…find someplace to hide. Somewhere that won't be consumed by fire. Somewhere where no one will find you for now."

They snuck out of the clearing and deeper into the forest. They came upon a fallen log that was being held up between two trees. Ralph crawled under it and hid himself in its shadow.

"Does this work?"

"That's fine." She turned around and ran.

"Where are you going?" he whispered after her.

"I'll be back as soon as I can. I'm going to set things right."

.........

Jessica finally found Jack sitting by his camp, catching his breath. She felt the anger well up inside her as she stomped toward him. She couldn't take it any longer.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she asked.

He looked up. "Jessica! Thank goodness you're here! You can help us!" He stood. "Go get a stick, and I'll sharpen--"

"Shut up, you little jerk! For the last time, I don't want to be part of any Goddamn thing you do!"

He stopped talking.

"You didn't answer my question," she growled through her clenched teeth. "What the hell do you and those other S.O.B.s think they're doing?!"

"Protecting you," Jack said, the confidence still in his voice. "Ralph's the monster."

"Listen to yourself, Jack! Do you even hear a word you're saying?!" She shook, anger rising within her. "DO YOU THINK THIS IS SOME SORT OF GAME?! JUST ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR CUTE JOKES?! BECAUSE IT'S NOT! YOU ARE PUTTING EVERYONE'S LIFE IN DANGER, TRYING TO HUNT DOWN ONE BOY! IS THAT HOW YOU WANT TO LIVE THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?! LIVE AS SOMEONE YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW?! A _SAVAGE_?!"

"You're the one who doesn't know who she is!" Jack said, his voice wavering now. "I've done everything for you--even saved you from that boulder--and all Ralph and those other losers have done--"

"--is be there for me when you weren't!" Jessica finished. "When you didn't want to be! While you've been forcing me to do the wrong thing, they've been calmly showing me what's right. And yet you're so persistent at getting something you could never have!"

"I really think they've done something to you, Jessica." Jack's voice was no longer strong. "And I'm worried."

"Please. All you're worried about is obtaining another slave to serve you and your excessive need to kill."

"That's…not true…"

"What is anymore, Jack? Tell me that."

He couldn't answer her.

"That's what I thought. You don't know anything. If you did, you wouldn't have turned into…a hideous…monster! That's right! You're the monster! EVERYONE'S THE MONSTER!!!!!!!!!!!!"

She sank to the ground, crying. "I'll never forgive you for what you did to Simon…or Piggy…or what you could potentially do to Ralph." She looked at him. "You're…you really are a monster. I don't even know who you are anymore."

She glared. "I'm tired of just swearing and yelling at you. All it does is give you all the more reason to do what you do. And that's not right. So I'm doing something about it. And...the truth is, Jack...you scare me. You've been scaring me ever since you've...become..._that_. But now that I've spent time with my realy friends...I have the strength to stand up to you."

Everything she had said must have stunned him, because the next thing he did was look in the water at his reflection. His face was only half-covered in war paint, but the damage was already done.

"Oh, my God…what have I become…?"

She turned him around to face her. "Just…close your eyes for a minute. Now…imagine a nice, little cottage…with white stucco walls and a brown shingle roof…and a matching carriage house behind it. Now imagine a red-haired man on the porch of that cottage…and a woman beside him…watching their children…a boy and a girl…running through the grass.

"And remember…remember how the man told his children about Little Lotte…and the Angel of Music. He always teased that the little girl was Little Lotte, and he said that when he died, he would send her the Angel of Music, like in his favorite book. He said he would send the Angel of Music…and he did.

"Through you.

"Don't look so surprised, Jack. Father said he'd send me the Angel of Music when he died. And he did through you. You suddenly were gifted with the talent of music through singing when we were young, you remember. You taught me how to sing. And I knew that Father had kept his promise.

"But I guess he never thought his plan might backfire. Or that a war would break out as soon as it did.

"That was when things changed. We were sent to boarding school…I got a bit cocky…you saw through my façade and treated everyone equally. But then all your efforts to be good began to fail…and then the incident with the chandelier…and I guess sneaking aboard the plane wasn't the smartest thing to do. And then we were stranded and Ralph was voted chief…

"But, you know, I don't regret a single second on this island. Okay, maybe a few…but not very many. I learned what it's like to actually be part of something important--a family. I learned to care for others and how to take care of myself. And, I think most importantly, I learned what love was…and I'm grateful for the time I got to share with someone I never thought would give me the time of day after the way I treated him.

"And then you. You with your pig hunting and face paints and war spears…you just gave up fighting to be good and gave in to evil. You're the reason Piggy's head was destroyed. You're the reason my beloved Simon was killed. You're the reason the 'beast' exists.

"You're no longer my Angel of Music, Jack. That Jack…he's gone now. Replacing him is someone I don't even know, nor care to know. He's someone who chooses fear over bravery and despair over hope. You've become the Angel of Death.

"You once told me that I needed to grow up. Well…I have, because of the people I've met. And now it's my turn to teach you how."

He shook his head. "It's no good now. Look at me. I'm…" He seemed reluctant to use the word. "A savage."

"It's not too late, Jack," Jessica said. "Just…" She sighed. "I knew this wasn't going to be easy."

"You don't know how much of an understatement that really is…" He looked at her. "How can you…accept me after what I did?"

"I said I'd never forgive you for what you did." She sat down. "I never said I wouldn't accept you again. Jack…you mean the world to me. And…it honestly broke my heart to see you change that drastically."

Jack sat beside her. "After what happened at school…I just felt…stupid. And…after what you said about starting on a clean slate…I really wanted to do that. But…as you can see…it went way too far."

"Maybe it did. But your heart was in the right place…at first…"

"Yeah. It always is at first. But then it goes off-course…and I wanted you to be proud of me."

"Why?"

"Father always liked you better. And Mother…just as long as we stayed out of her way when she was busy, it didn't matter what we did. You were the only one who ever cared. And…I wanted to show you I could do something right for once."

"You can still do that. You can turn around, Jack. Please."

"I don't think I know how to…"

"Well, then, you'll have to learn. And I'll have to teach you."

She pulled him to his feet. His eyes were wet.

"Jessi…why…why are you doing this? I don't deserve it at all."

She looked him in the eye. "You're worth it," she said sincerely.

"Jessi…no one could ask for a better sister than you." He hugged her. "God, I love you."

"I love you, too," she said, hugging him, as well.

And for a moment, it seemed like things would turn out okay.


	32. 27: Rewritten Endings

_The final chapter of Flamingo in a Flock of Pigeons._

_(Sorry if it's rushed! I know I keep saying that...but I want the best quality for you guys...)_

_(P.S. Themes from movies and/or other forms of media ahead...I don't own anything.)_

.........

**"Why can say if I've been changed for the better?...I do believe I have been changed for the better..." - Glinda the Good and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, _Wicked_**

.........

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: REWRITTEN ENDINGS

Jessica and Jack just stood in silence for a moment, hugging each other. The embrace was broken when they heard the sickingly familiar war cry and its echoing response.

"Oh, God…they're coming," Jessica whispered fearfully.

"Don't panic, Jessi," Jack said.

"How can I not…" Jessica trailed off when she saw her brother staring at the smoke coming from the other side of the island. She knew the gears in his head were working overtime.

"Here's what you're going to do," he said after a minute. "Ralph is in the same place you left him, right?"

"I hope so…God, if those little shitheads chased him out, I'll kick their asses--"

"Okay, the first thing you do is find Ralph. Then run to the very front beach of the island--"

"The place where we used to assemble?"

"That's the place. Run there, attracting as many littluns as you possibly can. If you can actually convince them to not hunt Ralph, that's even better."

"But I thought--"

"They just go with whatever us older ones do. They're easy to convince. Roger and those other guys…they won't be as easily persuaded. So if you see them, just run like you've never run before."

"Where are you going with this, Jack?"

He pointed out over the horizon. "I have a feeling that a ship or a helicopter is going to see all that smoke that those morons are making." He laughed. "It's so ironic. We burn the island down, don't even think about using it as a signal, and then we get rescued…"

"What do we do when we get to the beach?"

"Um…just…wait, I guess," Jack said, unsure. "If there's no one there, make sure all of you are hidden safely somewhere. Roger and the others won't do anything too serious to you or the littluns…but they _will_ force you to hunt Ralph. If an officer or someone's already there, then go with him. He'll take you to whatever he's got, and get you home."

Jessica nodded and began to run away when she stopped and turned around. "Why…why aren't you coming?"

Jack sighed. "I…I can't go back. Not home."

"What? Are you crazy?! The island's burning, and--"

"Jessi…the island won't burn all the way down. Trust me."

"But…what about going home?"

"Think about it. Home was a living nightmare, school was a hell on earth…and here, I acted like a little devil." He shook his head. "After what I've done…the people I killed…the things I said…I think it'd be good for me to…own up to all that, and I can do that by staying here. Besides, I'm not sure if I can be accepted back into society. And I'm not sure if I'm ready to go back."

"Don't say that, Jack," Jessica scolded, tears in her eyes. "I know you. You're a good person. I'll admit, you did stray from your regular ways and did become a savage…but I knew you'd come back. I knew it. So…let's go! Right now! I don't know how much longer Ralph can wait for me."

"Please, Jessi…" Jack's eyes were pleading, like Simon's had been. "Just do this for me. You didn't listen to me about getting on the plane…and you certainly didn't listen to a thing I said to you over the past however many days we've been here...so listen to what I'm saying now. You have a full life to lead ahead of you."

"No, I don't," Jessica said. "I don't want to leave without you or…Simon! And Piggy! I can't leave them…"

"Jessi…you may leave their bodies, but you're not leaving their souls. They will always stay with you. Same for me." He took her in his arms. "You're not going to leave me. You never will. No matter what happens to either of us today…I'll always be with you. Forever."

Jessica didn't care. All she wanted to do was stay in her brother's arms--

Another war cry was heard.

"Run, Jessi," Jack said, pulling away. "Go and find Ralph. Remember what I've told you."

"But I can't leave you! You'll die and--"

"Jessi, run! Now! Don't let them find you! They're probably looking for me! Don't wait around for them to get here! Just…leave while you still have the chance!"

"Jack! I'm not leaving--"

"Just do it, Jessi! Go now!"

She didn't move.

"Go! NOW!"

Jessica knew there was no hope in arguing. She took one last look at her brother and reluctantly sprinted into the woods.

.........

Ralph started breathing heavily. Sam and Eric were right in front of him, staring.

"You two see anything over there?" Roger called.

Ralph silently begged them not to say anything. _Please…you know in your hearts what's right…just don't say it…_

They looked at Roger. "No," they said. They gave him a look as if to say, _Don't be so obvious next time _and walked away.

As Ralph was about ready to release a quiet sigh of relief, he saw another boy stalking his hiding place. He stiffened up.

"Roger!"

He had been spotted.

_Don't hate me, Stix… _he thought as he came out of his hiding place and started to run.

.........

Jessica tripped and fell over someone.

"God, would it kill you to watch where you're--" the boy started.

She looked at him, and his eyes widened. "Jam?"

She put her finger over her lips. "Shh! Don't tell anyone!"

"But…"

"Listen--wait, what's your name?"

"Billy."

"You saw the monster first, right?"

He shuddered. "Don't remind me."

"Billy." She looked him in the eye. "What do you want more than anything right now?"

"I…I want to go home." Tears ran down his face. "I want to go home!"

"Then come on."

"What?"

"We gotta hurry. All this fire's bound to make a lot of smoke…"

"…which will make a signal!"

"Exactly."

Billy nodded. "But…what about Jack?"

"He'll understand!" She grabbed his arm. "We gotta go!"

.........

She went on with Billy, surprised at how many littluns--and Sam and Eric--she was able to gather.

She was also surprised when they ran into Ralph.

"Jessica! I'm sorry about--"

"No time! We gotta run!"

The rest of the littluns were chasing them, stumbling over their awkward feet.

A war cry ran out. The littluns stopped and turned, confused.

"People!" Sam and Eric yelled. "Ignore that! Look! Ralph!"

The littluns shrugged and started chasing them again.

They ran to the beach. Another war cry was heard, and Jessica could have sworn Jack was the one doing it, trying to distract the other hunters from following them...

They all collapsed in a big heap on the beach. An officer stood, looking at the quizzically.

"What are you kids doing?"

Jessica heard crying sounds from beside her. She looked and saw Ralph, his face dirty and his shorts tattered, his tears wearing away the dirt that covered him. Jessica knew it was because of Piggy…and Simon…and the loss of innocence.

At this point, all of them were so traumatized, they couldn't take it anymore. They cried with Ralph, as well.

The officer had no idea what was going on. He herded them onto the helicopters that had landed on the beach.

.........

"Stix?" Ralph asked in the helicopter, tears still rolling down his face. "Where's Jack?"

Jessica looked at him.

Jack.

Still on the island.

She'd never see him again.

Ever.

Surprised she had more tears, she hugged Ralph, and the two of them sobbed for most of the trip home.

.........

"This is our new life from now on," Jack explained to the nine boys gathered before him.

"But what about--"

"Forget about all of them!" Jack said. "I've killed each and last one of them and thrown them in the ocean! There's blood down there to prove it!"

A helicopter flew by.

"Why are--"

"We'll live on the island, and hunt!" Jack said over the roar of the helicopter, hoping to distract the boys. He thought he saw his sister looking out the window, but he forced himself to turn away.

"We'll live here…and we'll make it, I know we will."

.........

_Because I knew you…I have been changed for good._


	33. The Aftermath

"**And so the lion fell in love with the lamb."**

"**What a stupid lamb." - Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, **_**Twilight**_

.........

THE AFTERMATH

On September 26th, 1942, 30 individuals--29 students and one pilot--were stranded on a deserted island in the Atlantic ocean. On October 30th, 1942, only seventeen were rescued.

Richfield Boarding School was officially reported to have been attacked (something to do with the Russians came into play). Although it was rebuilt and then reopened, it never did have as many students as it did before the incident. Only the Merridew children would ever truly know what happened.

The girls' plane landed successfully in Chicago. They stayed there for a month before being sent back to their respective homes.

Laurie found her frustration was best taken out doing labor. She joined the workforce and became one of the strongest female leaders in America.

Sheila and Natasha, after hearing the story of their friend, became much more sensitive. They both became doctors: one a veterinarian, one a pediatrician. They became so much like each other, it soon became hard to tell the two of them apart.

Another helicopter had been spotted by the children only about two weeks before the rescue. They could never know that this helicopter had been going to retrieve the other unfortunate souls from their school on a nearby island. Compared to the second rescue story, however, they didn't get nearly as much press.

Upon arrival in the States, the seventeen rescued individuals were immediately bombarded with reporters and journalists. Although the majority loved the press and the spotlight, two unnamed children refused to ever speak of the incident.

Thirteen people were pronounced dead a few days after the rescue. They included Captain Jonathon Benson, Simon Fitzpatrick, Percy "Piggy" Huntington, and ten other unknowns. It was not until much later that anyone knew that those ten children were still alive.

Over the next few years, those ten people were slowly but surely rescued (quite by accident--many people started visiting the island because it had become so popular). Nine out of the ten were discovered, but one was never found.

Not much is known about the fate of the littluns, but many seem to think they all went off and founded what they call "greaser" gangs. Sam and Eric went into the entertainment business, where they used their habit of sounding like one to make millions of people laugh.

Ralph, surprisingly, became a pro-boxer. He eventually retired and became an actor (as so many before him did). Jessica became a profession singer/songwriter, and toured the country often.

In the summer of 1955, a team of investigators went to research just exactly how the survivors had lived on the island for so long. While looking, they came upon the dead body of a man with dirty blonde hair and the remains of what looked like war paint on his face. He looked to be in his late twenties.

Interestingly enough, he layed beside two graves. One headstone read SIMON: A FRIEND…WHO WAS NEVER AFRAID, while the other bore PIGGY: MAY HE REST IN PEACE. Sprouting out of both graves were identical white flowers, seeming to have blood-red highlights on their petals.

And in the dead man's hand was a coral-pink conch shell.


	34. Epilogue

_The final installment of Flamingo in a Flock of Pigeons (and if you guys haven't guessed...Jessica is the flamingo and the guys are the pigeons...you know, since she's the only girl on the island and stuff...)_

_Thanks for everyone who read and reviewed! I'm so grateful to you guys!_

.........

"**There's only now…there's only here…give in to love…or live in fear…no other path…no other way…no day but today." - Company, **_**Rent**_

.........

EPILOGUE: HOPE REEMERGES

Under the glow of the dreadful chandelier, Jessica shyly approached Ralph. It had been so long since they'd seen each other.

"Ralph?"

He looked up and smiled. "It's been a while, Stix."

She laughed. "I didn't know you still lived here."

"I'm thinking about moving back…Hollywood's just not my thing, you know?"

"Too many sleaze balls there?"

"How'd you know?"

She gave him a wry smile. "You're not the only one who's famous, Mr. Smith."

"I suppose not." He produced a letter from his pocket. "Sam and Eric just wrote me last week. They invited me to come to dinner."

She nodded. "Catch up on things?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. It's been too long, and I haven't seen them since…"

He trailed off, not wanting to offend her. She shook her head in exasperation.

"When will you learn, Ralph? It's been thirteen years. I think I'm at the point where I'm capable of talking about it without breaking down."

"Oh." He shifted uncomfortably before asking, "You seeing anyone at the moment?"

"No. But I've been trying to get back out there. It's like you and Piggy told me: Simon would want me to be happy. And…well, that's what I'm doing."

"Good, old Piggy…I still have his glasses."

Her eyes bulged out of her head. "You what?"

"I keep them in a box. Just a way to keep his spirit alive. He was the best friend I ever had."

He paused. "Sometimes I wish that it wasn't him that was in the path of that boulder. Sometimes I wish no one was…other times I wish it were me…"

"And what in God's name would make you think that?"

"If Piggy hadn't died," Ralph said seriously, "we probably would have been able to at least come together and make another fire. Then only…Simon…"

"I did the exact same thing," Jessica admitted. "The night before the rescue. I thought to myself, 'If I hadn't refused Jack, then maybe Piggy and Simon would be alive. And maybe Ralph wouldn't be in trouble.' But then I thought, 'Simon would still hate me.' And if I had to live with that…trust me…I wouldn't be living right now."

She recalled what Simon had told her just before he died and smiled. He'd search a hundred lifetimes to find her again…

But…when would that be? Would she even know? She shook her head to clear it.

"Something wrong, Jess?"

Jessica frowned up at Ralph. "Huh?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine…but, did you just…call me Jess?"

"Oh…um…yeah…" His brow furrowed, as well. "I don't know why, though. I've never heard anyone call you that before."

Simon had called her that…and if Ralph had said it without ever knowing…could that mean that…?

A light bulb went off. "You doing anything after this auction ends?"

Ralph still looked confused. "No. Why?"

She slipped her hand into his. "No reason."

.........

About an hour later, people were filing out of the school. Ralph and Jessica emerged, a bit saddened.

"I can't believe I dropped the stupid thing," Ralph said.

"It wasn't your fault," Jessica said.

"Who donated it, anyway?"

"I did. Just this past summer, they were researching the island and found it. They found it in the hands of...my brother."

Ralph looked at her. "Really?"

"It's not a public thing. But…yes. They did. And…he's dead."

"I…I'm sorry."

"Thanks."

They began to walk away. Jessica found herself glancing back at the school. Something didn't seem right…

"You coming, Stix?"

Jessica realized she'd stopped. She let go of Ralph's hand and ran back inside.

"Stix?"

As she ran back, she had the sensation that she was shrinking. When she stopped inside, under the chandelier, she realized that her hair was longer and her feet were smaller.

Ralph appeared. Her heart picked up. He looked like he was fifteen again…which meant so did she…

They looked at the chandelier, which was now exploding with brightness. Two white balls of light descended, revealing the ghosts of Piggy and Simon.

While Ralph looked like he was going to drop over, Jessica beamed at them. She also had to giggle when she saw that Simon still had a kiss mark on the right side of his face.

Then out of the shadows stumbled someone around her age…a man with dirty blonde hair and the remains of war paint still on his face.

"Jack?"

He blinked at her, and then his face broke into a heartwarming smile. She ran to him, and the two of them hugged, despite the fact that he was technically dead.

And when she let go, he, too, was younger, and in white, like Piggy and Simon. He joined them, and they began to ascend back up to the chandelier.

Ralph and Jessica stood side-by-side, looking on as their friends made their way back home. An overwhelming feeling of joy overcame them.

And that joy was embellished when they saw that Jack had a newly restored conch shell in his hand.


	35. Dedications and Acknowledgements

DEDICATIONS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A lot has gone into this story, and I couldn't close it without thanking the following people (again, whether they'll ever know it or not):

-Sir William Golding, the original author of the novel _Lord of the Flies_. This novel inspired the story…and it's just cool!

-Harry Hook, the director of the 1990 film version (even if it did totally screw things up…). The movie also inspired the story…and I really like the movie, too...

-Balthazar Getty (did I even SPELL that right?), Chris Furrh, Danuel Pipoly, and James Badge Dale, who played Ralph, Jack, Piggy and Simon in the 1990 film version (respectively). They're all so cute! And…well…James Badge Dale's interpretation of Simon really motivated me to write the poem…which led to the story…

-My sister, LeiaOrgana57, and my best friend, A.K., for their complete and utter disgust for LOTF. Their complaints about it made it all the more worth it to write! Thanks, you guys!

-My English teacher. If she hadn't forced me to read the book, I never would have discovered how truly amazing it is …unless I went to a college where I had to read it…but then I think I'd still hate it. But, whatever.

-My English classmates, for the mock trial (even if I really embarrassed myself in front of the whole class, which is another story [if you want to PM me about that, feel free], they came up with last names for Simon and Ralph.)

-My Biology teacher, for giving me the idea of the story in Chapter Six (LOL!!!)

-My confirmation friends and the pool noodles (I think that's all I can say for this one…like I said, I get my inspiration from the strangest places…)

-Demi Lovato, for being on the TV when I was thinking what color Jessica's hair should be (and she's just that awesome…)

-Coraline (the character in the 2009 movie), for just…being her! I honestly think she was the inadvertent model for Jessica's personality (or…part of it, at least…)…

-My mom, for letting me rent LOTF

-Everyone who read and reviewed and gave me ideas! God, you guys ROCK MY SOCKS!!!!!!!!!

Thanks again! I'm glad you enjoyed!

~ElphieThroppDG28


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